Fate's Second Chance
by Terror of The Azure Flame
Summary: At the conclusion of Zero's Requiem, Lelouch awaits his death after falling at the hands of Suzaku but the words of his sister causes a change of heart. With a new desire to live he is rewarded with a chance to go back to the beginning. Read & Review
1. Fall of the Demon Emperor

Code Geass: Fate's Second Chance

Chapter 1: Fall of the Demon Emperor, A Fate Rewritten

By: Terror of the Azure Flame

A word from the author:

As usual with any fanfiction I don't own Code Geass in any shape or form but I've decided to give it a shot with this little idea that has been floating around my head as of late. I never really like how the end of Code Geass played out and decided to toy with the idea of what Lelouch would do if he was given a second chance and start over from the beginning. Would he stick to the events of his original timeline or would he make adjustments to prevent all that lead to his eventual death in order to live on in the world he desired to create?

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><p>The leaders of the Black Knights were all currently being transported to their executions. Even Schneizel and Nunnally who were Lelouch's siblings were to be executed. Kallen, one of his former comrades and even friend thought, "I failed you mother. I failed you too, Naoto. Our peaceful world has not come."<p>

As the transport continued on, some gasps were heard. The escorting Vincent Ward Knightmares stopped to use their factspheres to identify the object, or man in their path. As people looked on, a ripple of shock passed through the onlookers as the figure turned out to be the allegedly dead, Zero.

"Zero? Zero? It… it really is Zero?" Many of the onlookers said in confusion and shock. Though none of them were more confused than the members of the Black Knights that thought of him to be dead with the exception of those that knew of his true identity as Lelouch or so they thought. "That's him? But Lelouch is over there!" Kallen stated. She looked at the former Zero who had a surprised look on his face.

"Was that it? Was that what Lelouch and Suzaku had to do?" Kallen asked as she looked on in shock between Lelouch and Zero. Suddenly, Zero broke out into a dash towards the Knightmares with surprising speed that many didn't think he possessed. With amazing agility, he dodged the fire from the Vincent Knightmares as he moved in a zigzag pattern before Zero jumped onto the shoulder of the lead frame and pushed off. Upon his landing he was confronted by Jeremiah Gottwald, extended his arm blade and made an attempt to stab the masked revolutionary but Zero jumped over him as well and continued towards his intended target.

Zero came face to face with the Emperor of Britannia and the world as Lelouch pulled out his gun while saying, "You idiot!" But Zero quickly slashed the gun away with his sword before leveling his blade with Lelouch's gut. In that moment anyone that was close enough would've been shocked as Lelouch smiled, slightly as if to accept his death at the hands of Zero. He thought back on the plan he had made over the couple of months after his declaration to become ruler of the world that eventually brought them to this exact moment.

_**Flashback**_

"_Suzaku, you will kill me like we agreed." Lelouch said. "You're going to do it, no matter what?" asked Suzaku, the Knight of Zero. "Right now, the hatred of the whole world is focused on me, just as planned. Now I just need to disappear to break this chain of hatred. "Lelouch responded as he handed Suzaku the mask of Zero. _

"_The legend of Zero still remains in the order of the Black Knights and Schneizel will now serve Zero also. With this, the world will be able to sit at one table through discussion and not military force. We'll be able to face tomorrow." Lelouch said. Suzaku grabbed a hold of the mask of Zero. _

_Suzaku looked at it and said, "And that…."_

"_Yes." Lelouch nodded._

"_…. the Zero Requiem." Suzaku finished._

"_In the world of C, we learned that people long for tomorrow." Suzaku said while he could only gaze solemnly at his friend._

_Lelouch laughed and said, "Hey Suzaku, don't wishes resemble Geass? Asking someone for something you can't achieve by yourself ."_

"_A wish, huh?" Suzaku replied. _

" _Yes, I'm under the effect of a Geass called the people's wish. For the sake of the world's future." Lelouch replied, still smiling._

**Flashback End**

C.C., the immortal witch that gave Lelouch his power was praying in a chapel. She said, "Lelouch, as compensation for putting Geass on people….." she trailed off as a tear fell down her face. As the blade neared Lelouch, the Demon King thought, "Those who may shoot are only those that are prepared to get shot themselves."

"_Suzaku, you're going to be a hero now. Become the savior who freed the world from Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia, the enemy of the world. As Zero." _Lelouch thought with a small smile still in place.

With that final thought the blade pierced Lelouch's abdomen to shock and disbelief of the crowd. With the final curtain being drawn as the closing act to the play that was his life Lelouch vi Britannia oddly found himself not feeling any pain as the blade pierced his chest and a strange sense of calm permeated his being. He could easily hear and see the shock of the crowd as the Demon Emperor, who had sought to conquer the entire world was struck down by the masked revolutionary Zero, who had on many occasions fought against the Britannian empire in the past and silence fell over them all. He could also see how the members of the Black Knights could only look on in confusion as these events played out with some even coming to an understanding since they knew for a fact that he had been the Zero that had first rallied them together. Only for him to use them as pawns for him to eventually assume the throne and set about to make his grand ambition to create the world that Euphemia and Nunnally had sought even though it would mean his own death.

Lelouch breathed for air as the sword went through his body but felt very little pain but a sense of relief instead.

"L-Lelouch!" Suzaku said from beneath the mask of Zero as tears streamed down his face.

Blood came out from his wound with the sword still inside as Lelouch's forehead rested on Zero's shoulder. "This is punishment for you too. You'll continue to wear the mask as an ally of justice. You will no longer live your life as Suzaku Kururugi. You shall sacrifice the ordinary pleasures of your life for the benefit of the world for eternity." Were the final words of the Demon Emperor to his co-conspirator and friend.

"I accept this 'Geass'." Suzaku said as he pulled the blade out of his friend.

'_I give this world to you, Nunnally.' _Was Lelouch's thought even as he exchanged his final words with his co-conspirator and closet friend as well as worst enemy, Suzaku Kururugi, and know his executioner as he now donned the persona that he had once created as the image of his revenge. Raking his bloodstained fingers against the black mask his former friend was no cursed to wear as the new hero to the people but forced to live the life of an elaborate lie.

Stumbling away from the masked vigilante and managing to only a few more steps before he collapsed, sliding down the walkway while leaving a bloodstained trail before coming to a halt at the base of the pagoda next to his chained sister. Lelouch could only blankly stare at the sky with a smile as his body refused to do anything else having lost all sensation except for the cold touch of death that was slowly embracing him.

"Brother!" A soft voice reached his ears.

A slight rattle was heard by him before a shadowed figured moved into his waning vision before clearing to reveal the disbelieving face of his precious sister, Nunnally. The very same sister that he had been force that had driven him forward on many occasions and even after she had denounced him as a demon he brought his ultimate goal to fruition to give her the world that she truly desired and felt that he could pass on with no more regrets in his heart. He wanted to tell her that the world she wanted was now within her grasp but nothing passed his lips nor could he move any part of his body even as she grasped his hand in hers as his gaze remained fixed at a single point.

As Nunnally touched her brother's hand she jerked as she saw the memory Lelouch thought of only seconds ago. "No way…. All this time you've …?" Nunnally said, her voice filled with disbelief. She grasped her brother's hand in both of her hands as she came to understand how far Lelouch had gone for her. "Big brother… I love you." Was her tear filled response to his current state.

Those five simple words gave his leaden body a brief surge of strength as tears formed in Lelouch's eyes he only replied, "Your wish has been granted for I have destroyed the world…..." The memories of the life he had accepted after he was thrown away his heir to the Britannian throne and exiled as a mere boy up until his death all flashed before his eyes. Lelouch continued with his last words." I destroyed the world and to create it anew." A look of brief surprise crossed Nunnally's face before more tears flowed.

With one last pain gasp the purple eyes that belonged to Lelouch VI Britannia, the 99th emperor, closed as he passed away leaving the fate of his new world in capable hands.

"Brother? No? Please open your eyes! Brother! Brother! You can't leave me! You can't! Please big brother! BIG BROTHER!" Nunnally cried.

"Lelouch, the villain, has died! Release the hostages!" Cornelia ordered as she appeared on the scene.

With that order the remaining Black Knights members had appeared to release the prisoners with some staring at the body of Lelouch and the form of Zero with a sense of understanding. As Jeremiah allowed himself a small, sad smile at the plan of his master before ordering his men to retreat as he had been ordered to do so upon Lelouch's death.

"Don't tell me that's…." Todoh said as he came to understand what Lelouch had planned.

"It's Zero!" Kallen said as Todoh turned to her. "That's….Zero!" As tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. Todoh could only nod in understanding as he could tell how much it pained the ace of the black knights to say those words.

"It's not fair…you were all I needed. A future without you...that's…." Nunnally pressed her face against his bloodstained chest and sobbed her sorrow to the world even as the crowd began to chant the name of Zero.

Although, even as the life left his frail form Lelouch couldn't help but wish that he could do it all over again if only for the chance to be with Nunnally and watch her grow up in this new world that he had helped to create. Unknowingly, both of his eyes snapped open as his geass flared to life for a moment as the sky above was bathed in red with a bird like sigil stretching across its vastness before fading away in that brief second.

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><p>"He mustn't die!" A female voice cried out.<p>

The sudden cry caused Lelouch's eyes to snap open in alarm even as the sound of a gunshot reached his ears. His vision was briefly filled with flowing green hair before it passed from his view before widened as he gaze upon the group of Britannian soldiers that stood before him with weapons aimed and ready to fire. '_What is this?'_ The former demon emperor thought in confusion as his gaze shifted around to take in his surroundings before falling to see the familiar figure of his green-haired contractor that had first granted him the power of Geass causing him to blink in shock was now held in his arms as her blood stained his Ashford academy uniform. "C.C.?"

"Well this happens to be quite the shame." The leader of the Britannian soldiers said with a smirk as he kept his gun aimed at the former emperor. "We finally manage to break into the terrorist hideout only to find that we arrived too late and the hostage has been tortured to death." The Britannian officer's grin grew wider. "So, What do you think we should become of you, schoolboy?"

Lelouch continued to look around in confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on. _'Is this some sort of dream? I am positive that I just died after Suzaku stabbed me but now I seem to be back where it all began.' _The sound of multiple clicks drew his full attention back to the soldiers that were before him. "What is going on here?" He muttered to himself.

However, the Britannian heard him. "It is quite simple, boy. We have eliminated the terrorist group as ordered by Prince Clovis but we also found a Britannian student to be assisting the rebels and even shot one of my men." He said gesturing to Suzaku lying a few feet away. "So, we have to eliminate you as well to maintain the secrecy of this little operation."

Lelouch took note of his wounded friend and gritted his teeth. If this truly was the beginning of everything then his former friend would become a major thorn in his side because of their conflicting ideals even if they finally worked together in the end. He quickly began to feel the familiar tingling of the activation of his Geass but this time the sensation could be felt in both of his eyes which brought a dark grin to the face of the former emperor. His mind slowly began to grasp the reality of his situation as he realized that he was being given a second chance to accomplish his goals. Looking up to the soldiers before him as he felt the familiar sensation of his Geass activating but this time in both eyes instead of just his left one.

Fixing his gaze upon the soldiers before him as he flashed them a cruel smirk. "My name is Lelouch vi Britannia and I order you to …..DIE!"

The eyes of the soldiers widened in disbelief for a brief moment hearing the name of the exiled 17th heir to the throne before the power of Geass invaded their minds and bent their wills to Lelouch's command as their eyes gained a red ring around it. "With great pleasure, your majesty." As one they aimed their guns at each other and fired ending their lives in stunning fashion.

Lelouch paid this little mind since he had already witness this before and now it was simply a bore as to revel in his power like he had before. His attention was shifted down to the green haired witch in his arms that had caused him much annoyance and amusement in his past life while allowing him to feel something he had felt for very few others in his life. He felt the alien sensation of Geass once again probing his mind and allowed himself small smile as his face softened as he gazed at one of the few that he considered precious to his heart.

'_It would seem that you are already in possession of a contract and I am uncertain as to how but this is very disappointing.' _The familiar, chiding and almost mocking voice that he had come to hate as well as love echoed in his mind causing the former emperor to chuckle.

"Quite the contrary I'm afraid, my dear Cecilia." He whispered her name in a loving manner. "You are still my one and only contractor and it would be most beneficial to me if you were to remember that C.C." The slight mirth in his voice was lost to the girl in his arms as her body tensed at the mention of her true name as she voiced her confusion.

'_How did you know that? Are you in a contract with HIM?' _The girl questioned in alarm as she made to move away from him but Lelouch only tightened his hold onto her as he leaned down to capture her soft lips in a gentle kiss. Her eyes snapped as foreign memories flooded her mind that were far too realistic to be a mere illusion and since she was unable to be affected by power of Geass due to her code she was confused how this boy could be causing this. She saw herself in various scenes with this boy no man that was embracing her and felt a sudden ache in her chest that was just as quickly numbed away by the feel of the lips of Lelouch pressed against hers. As the memories slowly settled she readily embraced the one that become her most precious person despite the fact that she was his contractor even if it was something that would never be mentioned aloud by her before others but was still willing to express by other means.

'_Lelouch Lamperouge no Lelouch Vi Britannia, my demon emperor and I am his white witch.'_ C.C. thought with glee as she deepened the kiss causing her to moan softly at the exchange with all the desire and passion that she could muster for the one that had strategically captured her heart.

Lelouch slowly broke the kiss as he pressed his forehead lightly against hers. "Well are you up to standing by my side once again, my dear witch?"

C.C.'s golden eyes twinkled in amusement. "Well, of course since you were never able to grant my wish before the fall of your final curtain."

Lelouch could only chuckle in amusement as he released her allowing both of them to rise to their feet but their attention was drawn away from each other by the timely arrival of a Sutherland, a fifth generation Knightmare frame, that Lelouch knew was piloted by Villetta Nu as the wall to the warehouse they were in toppled down. The frame slowly made its way inside before stopping as its dark-skinned pilot scanned the area around her with the knightmare's head mounted factsphere.

"Why are the royal guard all….?" Villetta muttered before her screen focused on the two teens that stood amongst the corpses.

She pressed a switch for her external speakers to activate. "What happened here? What is a Britannian student and an unknown doing here? Answer me or I'll…..?"

Lelouch gritted his teeth as he recalled the woman that had been another constant thorn in his side but this time he would make more use for her other than a means to acquire her Knightmare. If not for the fact that Ohgi would eventually have some form of relationship with the Britannian noble then, he would have eliminated her right now but for now he would use his Geass to bring her to his side.

Holding his hands up as C.C. mimicked his actions he spoke loudly to her. "My name is Alan Spacer and the girl next to me is Elizabeth and we were captives of the terrorists up until a few moments ago. My father is a duke and we require protection and safe transportation out of this area. My I.D. card is in my breast pocket and after confirming my identity I ask for your assistance."

Villetta hesitated for a moment since she had heard nothing of the terrorists having taken hostages but with all of the chaos it was quite possible that the information had reached them just yet. She quickly powered down her frame and removed her activation key while grabbing her firearm before opening the hatch to exit the frame. Once she was at ground level she aimed her gun at the two as she made her way towards the two teens.

"Keep your hands up. I'll take out your I.D." Villetta ordered.

Lelouch smirked as his Geass activated. "I command you to obey me."

Villetta didn't have a chance to react before her eyes glazed over and gained a red tinge to her pupils as the geass took effect as she lowered her gun to her side. "Yes, your majesty. What is your command?"

"Your loyalty now lies with me and not the Britannian Empire. You will now serve me as my loyal agent but shall remain with the Britannian forces until I order you otherwise. For now I want you to hand me your Sutherland as well as your weapon and remove yourself from the battlefield until this battle is over when a ceasefire order is given and then I want you to reunite with your unit. I will contact you at a later date with your next orders either through myself or through another going by the name of C.C. but until then, act as you normally would to avoid suspicion."

"Yes, your majesty. Its number is XG2-IG2D4." Villetta replied in a monotone as she tossed the key over to Lelouch.

The former emperor grinned to himself as his revised play was beginning to take shape before taking C.C. and boarding the Knightmare as Villetta left the building and headed back to the G-1 base to await further orders from her new master. Although, he couldn't resist the urge to kiss the beautiful woman and found the look of jealousy on C.C.'s face to be quite amusing.

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><p>Lelouch piloted the newly commandeered Sutherland as he made his way through the battlefield to wear the Britannian forces were currently closing in on the terrorists. Unlike the first time he piloted a Knightmare he actually knew how to pilot one but was more skilled at long range combat while still mediocre at close-range but he planned to take a few lessons from Kallen or Todoh in the near future. With how often he was forced to face opponents like Cornelia and Suzaku during his earlier battles against Britannia he didn't want to always rely on a lucky break to get him out of any sticky situations whenever his plans had a snag. C.C. was resting comfortably in his lap with her head resting on his chest and she could already see how her emperor was deviating from his original play script with his enslavement of Villetta to his side. Although, she was wondering why he had kissed her even if he intended for her be with Ohgi later on and couldn't deny that she was jealous that he had seemed to be interested in her.<p>

"I see that you plan to turn some of your most noteworthy enemies to your side while planting them within the ranks of Charles forces until later use." C.C. commented.

"Yes, by planting several sleeper agents in the Britannian forces I can gain more access to vital information while obtaining a means to cause chaos within their ranks. I already have several people in mind that will serve my needs and only need to wait until the most opportune moment to bring them into my fold." Lelouch replied. "By attacking Britannia externally as well as internally I can hopefully prevent Schneizel from turning the Black Knights against me since I also plan to reveal to them the power of my geass so that I can gain their trust."

"Yes, it was because of their lack of knowledge of Geass that allowed Schneizel to turn everyone against you during my brief episode but don't you think that it will be risky to reveal your power to them." C.C. said.

"The last time I didn't fully have their trust because I kept many secrets from them but I will correct that my revealing just enough insight into the man behind the mask to quell their curiosity but I will have to keep my status as an exiled princess away from them for the moment. I have an idea as to how they will react if they find out the one they follow is actually Britannian and may suspect that I am merely leading them into an elaborate trap while pretending to aide them. It is a great risk but it is one I am willing to take in order to correct as many mistakes as possible." Lelouch replied.

"Well, until you have fulfilled your contract then, I shall remain at your side and assist you as your accomplice just like last time." C.C. said as she caressed his side.

"I thank you for all that you have given me." Lelouch said in a loving manner before focusing back in on his surroundings. "Now, it is time to begin my revised play and first I must make contact with Q-1."

"I don't know whether I should be jealous or not of the fact that she is also close to your heart. Although, I will admit that she is rather attractive and her brash, hot-tempered attitude compliments you in a way." C.C. said.

"The same could be said for you as well but until all of my tasks have been cleared I can't allow you or her to be placed in any sort of danger. My enemies will only use the two of you against me in the same way they used Nunnally against me after my capture following the Black Rebellion. Even if you are an immortal I know that you are not truly immune to pain and I would never want to put Kallen in such a situation so I must go about this carefully." Lelouch said.

C.C. smirked. "I see that becoming emperor made you gain a new view of things which is a good thing. You were quite naïve and a bit impatient before and that allowed your enemies to take advantage of you during your moments of emotional weakness."

Lelouch chuckled. "Now that it seems that even fate is on my side I will not allow the ones that were my greatest source of strength become my weakness this time around."

C.C. gave him a chaste kiss in response. "I am really beginning to like this version of you. You are more honest and open than you were the last time but I guess you want to make up for all of your past mistakes but it is a good start if I may say so."

"I am at you humble service as always, Cecilia." Lelouch said then, grabbed the communicator as he tapped into the rebel's frequency. "Now let us begin this dance to bring about a new world."

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><p>Kallen Stadtfeld or Kallen Kouzuki as she preferred to be called in reference to her half-Britannian half-Japanese heritage was not have a great day. There were several reasons as to why she currently a nervous wreck and it started with her step-mother getting on her case about how much of a disappointment she was to the Stadtfeld name because of her false illness. Because of her supposed illness many of her would be suitors felt that she was too frail for them to propose a marriage because then they would have to take care of her as well and many nobleman felt that such charity was beneath them. On top of that she had to watch as her real mother was forced to constantly work as a servant to the Stadtfeld family and this pained her to see how weak the woman was. Finally, the plan to break into Prince Clovis research laboratory had been a complete failure since they had not been able to destroy it like they had planned and she had lost a good comrade during their resulting escape with the capsule which was now lost to them.<p>

Now she was on the run while piloting her red Glasgow, a fourth generation Knightmare, that the rebels had managed to steal from the Britannian forces even if it was inferior to their Sutherlands. Her frame was already damaged and with only one arm and no weapons she knew that she could not match up to the more agile and more powerful frames the Britannian forces now used as their standard unit. Her energy filler was almost depleted and it was only her skills as a pilot that had allowed her to just barely keep up with their superior frames but she didn't how much longer she could hold out.

"Dammit, I don't think imam be able to get out of this one after all." Kallen muttered as she continued to dodge fire from the pursuing Sutherlands while glancing at her power gauge. "Only thirty minutes left. If I can just lose these guys I can ditch this frame and get out of here so I can rendezvous with Ohgi and the others."

The radio burst with static for a moment. "Take the west entrance." An unfamiliar voice ordered gaining Kallen's attention since it was on the rebels communication frequency.

"Who is this?" Kallen demanded as she noticed the mentioned entrance and maneuvered her frame towards it. "How did you manage to get the code for this frequency?" She was instantly suspicious of the unknown voice and wondered if she was heading into a trap while still avoiding enemy fire.

Upon hearing her response the owner of the voice chuckled in a humored manner causing her to bristle in anger. "You are still as fiery as ever, Q-1. I know that you are suspicious of me but if you wish to win this battle then, I suggest that you listen to what I have to say and give me your trust."

"Win?" Kallen asked in confusion. "How do I know this isn't some sort of trap by the Britannians? I don't just instantly start trusting some unknown voice that claims to be able to help me win this battle. I am completely outnumbered and I don't see how you possibly could help turn the tide of this battle." The mere idea of turning the odds against the Britannian forces was staggering beyond reason. Also, it unnerved her from the way he spoke that whoever he was seemed to know her but she had could not recall ever hearing the voice before.

Despite her initial thoughts to distrust the voice she didn't see any other options available to her and maybe this would give a little more time to think of some sort of plan on her own. As she entered the entrance while constantly dodging the rain of bullets from her pursuers Lelouch smiled while noting that she was as still as skillful as he remembered her. Still following the advice of the mysterious caller as she made her way onto the abandoned rail-tracks and began racing along the subway lines before cursing as two Sutherlands started to pursue her as well. Although, one could tell that the two pursuing frames were extremely overconfident and merely toying with her since their opponent was an unarmed Glasgow with one arm since they had yet to fire on the red frame despite the clear line of sight.

"Do you truly believe that you can escape?" The voice of Jeremiah Gottwald blared over his external speakers of his unit.

"Very good Q-1, now when you reach the train jump on top of it and do not worry I'll cover you." Lelouch exclaimed as he took aim with his Sutherland's rifle. '_I will have to get Jeremiah back to my side as soon as he receives his upgrades from V.V. and the Geass order since they will prove useful in the future but for now he still has a role to play.'_

Kallen mentally nodded as continued to race along the tracks while avoiding fire from the pursuing Sutherlands before jumping on the train as it approached her and skimming along its containers. Jeremiah's Sutherland met the train head-on as his landspinners went full-throttle to slow it down even as he aimed his rifle at the retreating red Glasgow as he smirked.

"Do you believe that such a simple tact is this would be able to stop me? You foolish Elevens are seriously lacking in basic tactics and skills if this the best that you can hope to do." Jeremiah said with a smirk.

The second Sutherland jumped over him as was prepared to pursue the rebel Glasgow when two slash harkens shot from the side and struck the frame while taking it out of action. Kallen's eyes widen as she followed the anchor back to one of the destroyed building, where she spotted another Sutherland but she was also confused why it would fire on its own ally.

"Shot by friendly fire?" Jeremiah muttered, his confused yet outraged voice sounding over the intercom. "You there, what's your name and unit? We're after the one armed Glasgow-" Jeremiah was stop at mid-sentence as a hail of bullets rain upon him, forcing him to back away but one of his landspinners was damaged causing to grunt in frustration at the unexpected situation.

He didn't get another chance to mount an assault when he saw the red Glasgow charging him with its remaining arm ready to deliver a final blow and quickly activated the ejections system just moments before his unit was taken down. Kallen allowed herself a moment to revel in the brief victory and made sure no other enemy units were around before turning her attention to the building.

"You saved me?" Kallen muttered in a grateful tone as she looked to the building her savior was located. "How did you get your hands on a Suther….land?"

The building was abandoned with her secret benefactor having made an escape during her brief scuffle with the Sutherland. She had to admit that whoever was the pilot was good but wondered if it was another member of the resistance and why they didn't stay to join with her. She could only think that whoever it was planned to cause a bit of dissention amongst the Britannian forces and hoped they would be alright since it would be a risky plan.

"Kallen!" Ohgi's voice called out, the rebel leader racing up to her along the tracks while flanked by the rest of her fellow rebels that had managed to survive the attack so far. "What the hell was that radio message earlier?" His tone was clearly laced with confusion.

"He contacted you too?" The redhead exclaimed, looking down at her comrades in confusion. If this guy was able to contact the rest of the rebels and if he was the pilot of that Sutherland then, what else was he capable of.

"He sure did and told us to meet up here." With that said, the radio began to crackle again.

"Ohgi, Tamaki, and the rest of you it is good to see all of you alive and well." Lelouch said over the radio and took great pleasure at hearing them gasped at the fact that 'this mysterious voice' knew their leader and one of his comrades. "I present to you the cargo in that train over there. They are tools for your victory that I have acquired for you. If you want to use them for your victory in this battle, then I suggest you follow my orders." Lelouch said as he heard them gasped at the sight of several Sutherlands inside the train Kallen had just opened with her Glasgow.

"Who in the hell are you?" Tamaki's irate voice bellowed as he snatched the radio from Ohgi's grip. Lelouch couldn't help chuckling as he listened to the hotheaded redhead's voice. "How did you manage to get your hands on a bunch of Sutherlands?"

"How I managed to acquire them is of little consequence at the moment but I can assure you that this is no trap. We currently share a common enemy in Britannia and if you wish to obtain victory this day then, follow my orders and I can guarantee it." Lelouch replied.

Several rebels whooped for joy as they set about mounting the newly acquired Knightmare frames even as Lelouch opened another channel to Kallen. "Kallen, I am quite sure you energy filler is running low so replace it with a new one and remain in your unit. I want you to run decoy as our counterstrike against the Britannian forces comes to fruition."

"Y-Yes!" The redhead ace pilot replied as she was completely flustered that this mysterious voice seemed to know her. "But, how on Earth do you know-?"

"Who you are?" Lelouch interrupted as a sad smile graced his features while recalling their brief kiss in that hallway. "I probably know you better than anyone else…." Lelouch trailed off before his voice hardened. "Enough about that for now. Hurry and replace your filler before enemy units arrive and wait for my instructions."

Breaking contact, the former demon emperor closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair of his Sutherland as he fought the memories that threatened to consume him before tensing as he felt C.C. place her hands on the sides of his face. He opened his eyes to look at the green-haired witch that was regarding him with a saddened expression and couldn't help sighing.

"You need to calm down and focus on what is important right now. This is the second chance that you have been granted to correct all of the mistakes you made and that includes what happened between you and Kallen." C.C. reasoned.

Lelouch sighed again before nodding. "Yes, you have a point and I'm glad to see that you're my voice of reason." C.C. smiled in response before settling back down in his lap.

Lelouch once again took the controls of his frame and maneuvered himself across the battlefield while avoiding Britannian forces to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. He had a battle to win and he would concentrate on how to make up for his past mistakes at a later time.

"At least this time you are more capable of piloting a Knightmare frame." C.C. said with a smirk.

"Yes, I am quite capable at long-range combat due to my use of the Gawain and the Shinkiro but I will need to improve my skills as soon as possible. I have knowledge of several other Knightmare frames that Lloyd Asplund had planned that I managed to remember the designs and system schematics of them. Schneizel's Camelot project that developed the Lancelot also has as a second Lancelot unit as well as a prototype sister unit known as 'Lancelot Club' which was based around the designs of a Sutherland that are still being developed here in Japan and I will have to find a means to acquire soon before they are sent back to Britannia as well as get into contact with Rakshata to have her work on the units to improve them." Lelouch said. "He even had plans for several more Ninth Generation frames with one that was based off of the Shinkiro that I will have built for myself in due time as well as another version of the Guren. I will admit that even if Lloyd was an annoying and eccentric man he was a genius when it came to Knightmare frame designs."

"I will admit that I'm surprised that you were able to remember such information but I want to know if you are planning to steal Suzaku's Lancelot also? If you did then, that would easily remove him as a thorn in your side for some time since it was his role as the 'White Knight' that caused you the most trouble." C.C. inquired.

"As much as I would like to do so since it would make things a lot easier I will allow it to remain in Suzaku's hands. The technological advancements of the Gawain and the Lancelot were used as the basis for many of the Eighth and Ninth generation Knightmare frames that follow them such as the Tristan, the Mordred, the Lancelot Albion and the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements. Therefore, I will leave it in their hands for now and allow Suzaku to follow his own path as he see fits." Lelouch replied.

"Why do I have the feeling that you're not going to make it easy for him?" C.C. asked with a slightly disapproving tone.

Lelouch smirked. "I believe that I am entitled to a bit of revenge for all of the trouble that he caused me in the past. Even if he is my friend I won't let him stand in the way of my desire to create a peaceful world."

C.C. could only shake her head in mock annoyance as an evil grin crossed Lelouch's features. This time around he would make sure that the Lancelot didn't prove to be such a domineering foe even if it meant embarrassing his friend a bit.

* * *

><p>Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of the Britannian Empire and the third in line for the throne, sat in his command center while watching the proceedings of the battle from the safe confines of his base with a bored expression with a hint of annoyance as he listened to his tacticians discuss the course of action to smoke out the filthy Elevens that dared interrupt him in the midst of a party no less. He was already irritated that they had managed to break into his private facility and make a getaway with the capsule that was crucial to his research and it only got worse with how long it was taking for his men to put an end to this annoyance. It really shouldn't have been taking this long and how hard was it to flush out a bunch of vermin with only one outdated Glasgow on their side? Especially considering he'd given the soldier's free reign to execute anyone on the scene in suspected to be a terrorist of one of their allies in order to draw them out of hiding.<p>

"Remember to pass it on to the special unit that I want her captured dead or alive." Clovis muttered with Bartley instantly assuring him that it would be done.

"Enemy sighted!" One of the soldiers reported as the red Glasgow's signature appeared on screen.

"It is nothing but a feint. How utterly pedestrians of them." Clovis muttered with annoyance. "Take it out immediately." He ordered in a bored tone.

The order was quickly relayed to his troops as two Sutherlands were set to ambush the Glasgow but his lackadaisical attitude would cost him when the two Sutherlands were suddenly taken out. Many were shocked and confused at the sudden change of events and wondered how the rebels were able to take out two of their units so easily.

"An ambush?" Clovis said in shock.

From that point on all hell would break loose as their units were taken down by a seemingly inferior opponent.

* * *

><p>"An IFF signal can be used as a double edge sword." Lelouch whispered the same words that he said during his first battle. "P1, P5, P7 enemy Sutherlands will reach your position in 23 seconds from the north, shoot them through the wall." Despite some of the terrorists expressing their disbelief that a nameless voice on the radio could actually know exactly when and where the enemy would be, Ohgi ordered everyone to double check their weapons and take aim. Five terrorist Sutherlands formed up and took aim at the designated wall. Exactly 23 seconds after they received their order they opened fire in unison, blasting away the thin concrete wall and completely destroying the two enemy Sutherlands behind it. The terrorists cheered as the enemy units exploded. "R2, fire slash harkens at twelve o' clock." A group of Sutherlands fell to his tactics. "B7, use Chaos Mine," Another group out of commission. "N group, you'll continue your advance." Lelouch ordered as he twirled the chess piece between his fingers.<p>

"This is almost too easy for you since you already know what is going to happen." C.C. said.

"Yes, Clovis was never really a tactical genius of my level and if not for the intervention of the Lancelot I never would've lost the first time around. This time I am well aware of what Schneizel little pet project is capable of and can deal with it accordingly." Lelouch said before ordering another strike against Britannian forces.

* * *

><p>"How can this be happening?" Clovis muttered in shock as unit after unit were taken down despite their various strategies. "Does the enemy have more of our military weaponry other than that Glasgow?"<p>

In his shocked disbelief he barely heard as Bartley and several others ordered for their communications signals to be changed under the assumption the rebels were listening in on their lines. His mind couldn't comprehend that his superior forces were being wiped out so quickly and reminded the third prince of the strategies his brother Schneizel were known for and this absolutely terrified him. Even Todoh the miracle worker wasn't this good since he was more of a soldier than a pure tactical strategist but whoever was leading these rebels was a tactical genius on par with Schneizel. His thoughts were interrupted when the screen's display changed to show the head of Schneizel's Camelot research team, Lloyd Asplund, also known as the Earl of pudding.

"Good afternoon!" Lloyd greeted the group of men with a smug smile. "I'd say it's time to deploy the A6 special weapon."

"We've no time for this right now!" Clovis stated regally, glaring at his brothers annoying subordinate as he approached his tacticians that were panicking at the loss of yet another squad. "Bring up Quincy's squad!" That instantly caused Bartley to protests but was silence quickly. "Reinforce the breach in the encirclement with some of the forces guarding me. All we know for certain is that enemy forces are HERE." Clovis said while indicating specific point where they had lost most of their units.

* * *

><p>"My foolish brother, this is so annoyingly stupid of you the second time around but I will enjoy humiliating you once again." Lelouch muttered as he contacted his favorite pilot. "My dear Q1, you should have an area map, if I am not mistaken."<p>

"Yes?" The red haired replied, quickly as she continued to follow the instructions of the mysterious voice and maneuvered her Glasgow around the opposing Sutherlands while her comrades took them down from a far. "I have a map but it doesn't have any current landmarks." Kallen exclaimed, earning her a chuckle from the voice who was leading them to victory.

"That'll do quite well my dear that will do." Lelouch assured her with a soft chuckled. This was the exact same situation where he achieves his first victory over the Britannians and this time he would make sure that it went flawlessly.

* * *

><p>"Okay if this how it is to be then, send in Burts and the others too," Clovis ordered with a smile as he glanced at his advisor before glancing back at the monitor. "Concentrate our forces there, surround them." Clovis added as he glanced at a specific dot.<p>

"The enemies main forces are that in the center dot finish every one of them all." Clovis ordered as he watched most of his forces gathering at that dot.

"Are you certain this is going to work?" Kallen inquired as she moved her Glasgow underground followed by the Sutherlands of her comrades as they moved through the tunnel system.

"Yes, they are monitoring your IFF signal and that is how they have been tracking you but this time it will be working against them." Lelouch replied.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself. Was this how you felt the first time around?" C.C. asked with curiosity since she hadn't been around the first time.

"I should really thank my brother he has made this so easy." Lelouch replied he watched his monitor. "With this I call check." Lelouch smiled and at the same time, the rebel forces unleashed their slash harkens on the support beams of the surrounding road which caused the road to collapsed under the army of Sutherlands that had foolishly fell into his trap, burying them and while at the same time, buildings fell upon them ensuring the deaths of the pilots.

"That was easy the second time around." C.C. commented she cuddled closer to Lelouch's chest, watching the rising smoke over Shinjuku skyline. "Now, how do you plan to deal with our favorite Knight in shining armor?" C.C. asked in a rather curious tone.

"My dear Cecilia, I will change the plot. If I can humiliate Suzaku a bit he won't be able to rise through the ranks as quickly as before and the Camelot project will lose credibility allowing me to plan how to acquire the unit 2 and 'Club'." Lelouch replied.

He opened another channel to a group of Sutherland pilots he had already placed under his Geass. "Deploy!"

"Yes your majesty." Was the reply before they all turned on their comrades and fired causing even more dissention amongst the Britannian ranks.

Lelouch quickly opened the line to his favorite rebel group and future knights, who were still celebrating their victory. "Do not let your guard down." His voice echoed in the airwaves. "The battle isn't over yet, our Britannian friends had yet to deploy their little toy."

"Toy?" Kallen question as the celebration died down.

"Yes, the enemy has in their possession a new Knightmare frame that outclassed the Sutherland in every aspect and the pilot is also extremely skilled as well and can easily wipe all of you out in an open confrontation." Lelouch exclaimed with a small frown.

* * *

><p>As the feed from the command center continued to play, Lloyd couldn't resist the urge to frown as he was once again denied the chance to debut his Lancelot unit. Second prince Schneizel had personally endorsed his plans to develop the Seventh generation Knightmare frame since other nations were already developing their own to counter against their fifth generation Sutherlands and their remodeled close combat versions, the Gloucester. He knew that if he could get enough positive results then, he could push for enough funding to complete the Lancelot unit 2 as well as its sister unit the 'Lancelot Club' but so far he was forced to hold off on launching the Lancelot. Heck if he could get enough funding he could improve on the 'Lancelot Club' so that it could match up to the specs of the Lancelot since it was originally designed around the specs of a Sutherland in the first place with less Sakuradite in the frame unlike the Lancelot Unit 1 and Unit 2. This was because the 'Club' was originally being built from spare parts of the two Lancelot units and its performance was a bit peaky but not as much as that of the original Lancelot. This was why it was so difficult to find the necessary pilots for the Lancelot units since their specs were taken to a whole different level compared to the Sutherland and Gloucester of the Fifth generation and would be the template for future Seventh generation and beyond Knightmares. He was no military genius but he knew that with the abilities of his Lancelot and piloting skills of Suzaku Kururugi he had scouted to be the unit's devicer he just knew that the A6 special weapon could turn the tide of the battle back into their favor. He quickly cut the video feed since they were already monitoring the situation from their transport and found it hard to resist outright laughing at the chaotic mess he was seeing in the command center.<p>

Cecile approached his side. "Prince Clovis still refuses to allow us to launch the Lancelot?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yes, although the project is funded by Prince Schneizel very few have faith in the technology that is utilized by the Lancelot. Even with our current funding we have only been able to complete one Lancelot prototype with the unit 2 and the 'Club' still on standby to be completed. Although, because of the high specs of the Lancelot we were unable to really find any capable pilots amongst the Britannian forces here in area eleven and were lucky to come across the honorary Britannian Pvt. Kururugi on the battlefield and get him back here."

"Yes but the fact that he was wounded may prove to be a factor if we are given the order to launch. If you had done as I had suggested and requested that he be transferred to the project then, this could've been avoided. As it stands now he is going over the manual for the Lancelot but will have to adjust to the combat specs on battlefield instead of in a controlled setting. If he should run into any sort of trouble out there then, he won't be able to eject since that feature hasn't been installed yet." Cecile said.

Lloyd waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Even if the elevens have managed to acquire a few Sutherlands those fifth generation Knighmares are no match for my Lancelot and I doubt they really know how to pilot them anyway."

"Well, they seem to be able to operate them quite effectively if they are able to cause this much of a problem for Prince Clovis and his forces." Cecile stated, matter-of-factly.

Lloyd wanted to deny her claim but knew she was right since this why he wanted to show off his project in the first place. The rebels were able to acquire Sutherlands alongside the red Glasgow and were wiping out their forces even if most Britannian pilots only received minimal training in how to operate a Knightmare and it was up to them to improve their skills through trials of combat. However, the elevens barely had access to Knighmares with the exception of the MR-1 civilian class model which didn't even possess the same amount of mobility and technological advancements as a military grade Knightmare. The strategies that the elevens were employing reminded him of the ones used by Prince Schneizel, Princess Cornelia, or members of the Knights of the Round such as the Knight of Twelve, Monica Kruszewski.

The earl of pudding was drawn from his thoughts on the matter when one of his assistants informed him of a call from the command center. Lloyd couldn't resist the urge to grin as he noticed the flustered look on Bartley's face as he relayed the message from Prince Clovis to launch the Lancelot. After assuring the prince that his unit would be able to help turn the tide of this battle he motioned for Cecile to follow him as they went to the launch bay to inform Suzaku of his deployment orders.

* * *

><p>Suzaku Kururugi, son of the late Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi, frowned as he slipped into the cockpit of the experimental seventh generation Knightmare frame, codenamed Lancelot. He had already looked over the manual for the unit and couldn't deny that he was a bit excited to be piloting such an advanced frame even if it was just a prototype. However, he was more concerned with the fact that Lelouch was still out there in harm's way since Cecile had informed him that no reports of a Britannian student had come in yet. He knew that Lelouch was smart enough to stay out of trouble but couldn't help worry that he had somehow got caught up in this entire mess and he was also apprehensive over the fact that he was about to use the Lancelot to fight against his fellow countrymen.<p>

"No!" He muttered, shaking his head as he powered on the man-machine interface, the identity code registering with the mech's onboard computer. _'They made their choice by resorting to such tactics. Nothing good can ever come from terrorism and I will make them see that.'_

Seizing the controls of his Knightmare, the honorary Britannian's features set into a determined scowl as he commanded the mech to assume the launch position as he waited for the launch permission from Lloyd and Cecile.

"Lancelot: LAUNCH!" The blue haired assistant called out, Suzaku commanding unit's landspinners to full throttle racing forward off the transporter and into the ruins of Shinjuku at top speed, ignoring Lloyd's jubilant laughter about his 'Running full throttle out of the gate'.

The Lancelot handled even better than even he imagined that it would, responding to his slightest touch and turning on a dime without losing any forward momentum as he slashed through an enemy Sutherland with his Blaze Harkens. However, Suzaku had to contend with the bullet wound he'd received for refusing to kill Lelouch and he knew he had to put an end to the fighting quickly.

'Lelouch…' he muttered, recalling his childhood friend, the disowned prince of Britannia that had been sent to stay with his family as a child, along with his blind, invalid sister, Nunnally. 'Did you manage to make it out safely? Or did they…?'

Britannia believed fully that the exiled Prince and Princess had been killed during the initial occupation of Japan, a fact that Suzaku fully intended to keep that way. He knew that Lelouch had no love for his homeland and had even vowed revenge for their casting him and Nunnally aside and their subsequent attack on japan that almost cost both of their lives. He didn't approve of the goal of his friend but he was sympathetic to his plight since he knew the reason behind his thirst for revenge. It was one of the reasons he'd joined up as a Britannian soldier to ensure that no harm came to them ever again but had lost contact with Lelouch because of his duties as a soldier.

'_With the Lancelot I can put an end to the fighting and hopefully Lelouch can survive long enough for me to find him again. I could never face Nunnally if I was unable to save my best friend.'_ Suzaku thought as he took out several enemy Sutherlands with his blaze harkens.

He suddenly noticed the red Glasgow that had been mentioned earlier and gave chase. _'Acts of terrorism aren't going to ever accomplish anything. If only people like you were more willing to work within the system we would have a better chance to be accepted by the empire.' _His thoughts were interrupted as a hail of gunfire caused him to veer off course, whipping round only to find that the enemy had retreated from view.

"Using the ghetto's to their advantage…" he muttered, charging in the direction of the gunfire only to yell in alarm as several rounds slammed into his back, knocking him out of his charge "From behind?"

'_Sorry, Suzaku…'_ Lelouch thought as he watched with a detached expression as he directed the rebels in a dangerous game of keep-away with the white Knightmare while maneuvering it into position to spring his trap. _'But I can't have you interfering.'_

"It's just like you said!" Ohgi reported over the radio, the sound of gunfire in the background as his cell kept Suzaku distracted, firing at him from amidst the rubble. "Shit! He's deployed some sort of energy shield! Our weapons aren't having any sort of affect at all."

"Fall back for now," Lelouch ordered, mind calculating as he pulled up everything he recalled about Suzaku's fighting style and the Lancelot's capabilities. "Tamaki, the second he makes to advance I want you to take aim at the back of his legs. Kallen, are you in position?"

"You sure this'll work?" The redhead asked with her voice laced with uncertainty and a hint of fear as she watched the faster, more agile mech lunge after her friends, deflecting their bullets with its Blaze Luminous Shields and swiping at them with Blaze Harkens.

"Positive. That unit isn't equipped with any of its standard weapons at the moment besides its Slash Harkens. It will need to be in close combat range to prove truly effective and I have planned accordingly to deal with it." Lelouch offered as he looked on with a detached expression as he severed the connection. "C'mon Suzaku…"

"This is just plain crazy!" Suzaku cursed, whipping his shields around in a bid to ward off the continuous assault from the hidden enemy that came from all directions with most being concentrated to his rear. "It's like they were expecting me!"

"Suzaku? What seems to be the problem?" Lloyd called in, the scientist's voice sounding oddly concerned; no doubt worried about his precious Lancelot's debut being spoiled though losing a pilot like Suzaku would be a close second.

"The enemy has me pinned down in the slums!" Suzaku reported, using his grapples to leap onto a small building in a bid to get to higher ground. "They're moving between the buildings, so I can't get a lock on them! They are attacking me from all directions and I can't properly defend myself."

"My, they are very resourceful chaps aren't they?" Lloyd noted, sounding of all things amused by this interesting little wrinkle in the Lancelot's debut. "Still, no one ever said war was clean…true victories require on the spot thinking and strategy. I'm sure that you will be able to come up with a way to come out on top."

"You certainly sound like you're enjoying yourself!" Cecile snapped, concern for Suzaku in her tone while Lloyd's pained wails echoed over the radio, the scientist begging his assistant to release his ear. "Suzaku, fall back for….!"

"I can't fall back just yet, Miss Cecile. I have to stop the fighting before anyone gets hurt by these acts of terrorism even if it means fighting against my own people." Suzaku said as he raised his shields to block more rounds of enemy fire.

"You wish to end the fighting but at the same time you are in the army fighting against your own people. Your very ideology contradicts and will cause you a lot of trouble in the future if you continue to follow this path." Lloyd said before yelping again as Cecile twisted even more.

"Suzaku, you have to fall back and get out of there. The Lancelot hasn't been equipped with an ejection system and you are not properly equipped for this type of situation." Cecile said.

"Whoa!" Suzaku yelled, his eyes widening in horror as a hand punched through the roof he was standing on, grabbing the Lancelot's leg and holding the mech in place "They've got me!"

Gunfire rained down on the mech from all sides with Suzaku cursing as he was knocked around the inside of the cockpit, looking up through the monitor to see the enemy surrounding him on all sides, perched on top of the taller buildings as they unloaded round after round onto the Lancelot.

"Dammit!" he swore, activating his shield to deflect the worst of the barrage aimed at his cockpit while leveling one of his hip mounted Blaze Harkens at the hand holding him in place "Let go of me you…!"

Before he could free himself, a crimson fist came out of nowhere as the red Glasgow that had been reported on the battlefield appeared on the rooftop during a brief lull in the gunfire and punched the Lancelot right in the face, sending the slimmer mech crashing into an adjacent building which crumbled beneath the force of the blow.

The last thing Suzaku heard as he blacked out was Cecile screaming his name over the radio as Lloyd had a panic attack in the background.

"We did it!" Kallen cheered, pumping her fist as she watched the white Knightmare sink into the depths of the abandoned building and become buried under several tons of collapsed steel and concrete.

"Whoever this guy is he knows his stuff!" Tamaki whooped in jubilation while firing his rifle wildly in a victory salute, amidst cheers of approval from the others, several rounds of ammunition emptying into the clear, suddenly very sunny skies.

"You don't have time to celebrate. The remaining Britannian forces are gathering upon your position. You have obtained a decisive victory over their special weapon but you need to retreat from the battlefield and I'll cover all of you. Try to save as many civilian as you can and hide the Sutherlands for you will need them in the future." Lelouch instructed over the airwaves.

"How could we trust you when we don't even know you?" Tamaki snapped in a very irritated tone, completely turning a one-eighty after having just praised Lelouch's tactics.

"You guys followed every command that I gave you so far hence you guys trusted me unconsciously and I trust you all the same which is why I am ensuring the means for you to escape. Now I shall ask all of you again to trust me with your lives as I trusted you with mine and I promised I will not disappoint." Lelouch stated with a determine tone.

"Who are you anyway?" Kallen asked as curiously as he heard Ohgi urged his companions to retreat.

"My dear Q1, one day, I will tell you who I am but for now you can call me Zero, the man who will destroy this corruption that plagues this world and create it anew." Lelouch said, quoting his last words from his last lifetime. "Tell your leader, Ohgi that I'll be in touch and Kallen please treat your mother well since she has her reasons that are her own for staying." And with that, Lelouch broke contact.

"That was quite cruel of you to be playing with her mind like that." C.C. stated with a small chuckle.

"Well, you were a great influence in my past life." Lelouch said in a nonchalant tone as they drove towards Clovis's G-1 base. "Now, I have a destiny to fulfill."

* * *

><p>Having parked the Sutherland nearby in an easily accessible ruined building with C.C. still inside with instructions to remain out of sight while he donned the uniform he had acquired from one of the soldiers he had geassed earlier. Lelouch still found it amusing how easy it was for him to gain access to Clovis's command center. Even after all of the confusion he had caused and the defeat of the Lancelot, Clovis was still confidant that no one would dare to come to try and come this far into his encampment to strike at him directly. It only took him placing the lone guard under his command as another of his sleeper agents while taking his assault rifle and cutting the power to the upper levels before he made his way to the command center.<p>

The black prince raised his assault rifle in the air and fired quickly gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Now that I have your attention. I want all of you to exit this room with the exception of Prince Clovis himself. If you value your lives then, I would suggest that you make haste since I will offer you only one chance at survival." He discreetly activated his geass to ensure that they would follow his command.

"Bartley?" The prince yelled in alarm, looking at the general in confusion as the man along with the rest of his bodyguards and tacticians began to file out of the room in a trance. "Where are you going! Get back here this instant you….!"

"Still as petulant as before, Prince Clovis." Lelouch chuckled, smirking as his elder brother directed his angry glare towards him, the look quickly turning to one of shock as the elder prince saw the drawn gun in the Lelouch's hand as he discarded the rifle. "I would suggest that you calm yourself since it wouldn't do for you to seem out of place when you order a retreat."

"Are…Are you with the terrorists?" Clovis demanded, flinching as the shadowy figure advanced on him with gun in hand before his brow settled into the trademark Britannian noble look of scorn as he gathered his courage. "Do you intend to kill me, eleven scum?"

"Not just yet and I'm not an eleven." Lelouch replied, smirking at his elder brother while stepping into the light with his Geass active in both eyes, even as Clovis' own eyes widened in shocked recognition. "First, I need you to call off the attack and have your men pulled out of the slums. You are to ensure that the Eleven's are not to be harmed any further."

"Yes…" Clovis intoned as his voice became a monotone as he fell under the power of Geass.

Lelouch quickly relayed his commands to the entranced third prince. He watched in silence as he reached the communications council to broadcast his final orders to the confused troops still wandering around the ghettos of Shinjuku in search of the rebels.

"Attention all forces, cease fire at once. I Clovis la Britannia, third prince of Britannia and royal Viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you; all forces are order to cease fire at once. You will also cease destruction of any building or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven must be treated equally and without prejudiced, in the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby, ordered to cease fire at once, I shall allow no further fighting." Clovis announced in a publicly and instantly, the sound of gun fired slowly decrease until it completely stop.

"It's too bad." Lelouch said as he leveled his handgun at his elder brother's face, waiting for the order to wear off before he pulled the trigger. "I would've preferred to have let you live seeing as I've been given a second chance. However,…." his eyes narrowed in resolve. "You would only continue to commit more atrocities against the Japanese to cover up your secrets and I cannot allow that. Goodbye, my dear brother."

Clovis ended his speech at the exact same moment Lelouch pulled the trigger with his eyes widening in disbelief, only having time to think the words. _'Lelouch, you're alive…'_ were his final thoughts before his brains decorated the wall behind him.

Lelouch to a deep breath as he made a silent prayer for his brother before stiffening as a pair of slender arms embraced him from a behind as a head rested against his back. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned at C.C. who was staring back at him with a coy smirk.

"I thought I told you to wait until I returned." Lelouch said.

"Yes, you did say something like that but you know that I happen to be quite willful when I want to be." C.C. replied. "Do you regret what you just did? After all, he was your brother."

Lelouch chuckled, bitterly. "He was only my brother by name even if they said otherwise of his reasons for coming to Japan to search for me and Nunnally. His intentions may have been noble from the start but that didn't excuse him for the atrocities he committed during his time as the Viceroy." He broke away from her embrace and took her hand as they exited the command center. ""I regretted a lot of things during my last lifetime but my greatest regret was that I was unable to maintain the bonds I shared with Kallen, Ohgi, and the others in my quest for revenge." Lelouch said with a bitter tone. "I will not let that happen again and my Rebellion will be done right this time with no more unnecessary death and no more unnecessary casualties. This time, I will do things the right way and act on the feelings that I had for you and Kallen, this I do swear to you, Cecilia." Lelouch whispered passionately as they made their way back to the waiting Sutherland.

"And I'll be there with you to the very end, my emperor." C.C. said as she wrapped her arms around his and rested her head against his shoulder. "I wonder how Kaguya will react this time to your harem of women and it maybe even larger than what she expects it to be."

Lelouch could only blink in shock before chuckling in response as he recalled the young mistress of Kyoto that claimed him as her husband. Maybe this time he would actually respond to her advances despite the fact that she was three years his junior. If his brother Odysseus was willing to go through the marriage to Tianzi whose was many years younger than he was then, he could do the same. He also began to wonder what this would mean for his future love life since he knew for certain that it wasn't just C.C. and, Kaguya, Kallen, and Shirley that had taken the most interest in him during his last life. He would just have to wait and see what would happen since his white witch had just given him something to look forward to and in a way he was dreading what he would find out.

* * *

><p>This is the first chapter at my attempt a Code Geass fic. I was inspired to write this after reading Lelouch of the Second Chance by Kyugan and Fate's Debt by Fujin of Shadows. You may notice similarities in my story compared to theirs and I have been given permission from both authors to use some of their ideas and make my own spin on them so it you flame me for it I really don't care. In this fic, Lelouch will possess his fully matured Geass in both eyes like he did at the end of R2 and will be more skilled in combat and more open as well with those around him since he will value his comrades more after having been betrayed so many times in his past lifetime. I will also have him becoming a much better Knightmare pilot as well as much more physically capable through a series of events. Like most fics that I tend to write this will be a harem fic if I can manage but if not it will be a LelouchC.C./Kallen for sure.

Also, I have decided to add other Knightmare frames such as a second Lancelot unit that was inspired when I saw a picture of the pre-animation version of the Lancelot which was red and gold as well as the Lancelot Club which came from the Code Geass game, lost colors. There will be several other frames that will be included as well such as a ninth generation frame for Lelouch that is based off the Shinkiro. I want the Black Knights to be better equipped to face off against Britannia so expect to see a few specialized custom units for some of their top pilots. I want to make this story as interesting as possible to all of my readers so any suggestions that are given will be taken into consideration so don't hesitate to make a request. If I accept an idea I will give credit where it is due so that you know that I acknowledge your input. This story will also have a slow update factor since I am a part of the military and I don't exactly have a lot of free time to do my work. Plus, I may be on call for deployment across seas real soon and that will definitely put any story that I write on hiatus.

I have yet to decide whether or not C.C. will be the only one that will be 'awakened' by contact with Lelouch or not but he will gain many of his old allies from before as well as a few new ones. I have noticed that many other authors have chosen to give C.C. the name Cera as her actual name but I've chosen to give her the name of Cecilia instead. The reason for this is because I read a Code Geass magazine that hinted at that being her actual name and went with it. Also, I will definitely be having the Black Knights owning the Britannians in many of their battles since what good would it be for Lelouch to know the outcome of their battles and not try to change the outcome but not all of his battles will be guaranteed victories since his changing of the previous timeline will have a ripple effect as well. I want the Black Knights to trust him more so that Schneizel and the others can't use their lack of knowledge of Geass against him like last time but he will still retain some measures of secrecy. I have a few other ideas that I will try but I won't reveal them for now but I hope that anyone that reads this fic will come to enjoy it and I appreciate any reviews whether they are positive or negative.


	2. A New Plan, First Alteration

Code Geass: Fate's Second Chance

Chapter 2: A New Plan, First Alteration

By: Terror of the Azure Flame

Disclaimer:

I don't own Code Geass but I do own any Oc's that may appear in this story unless otherwise noted.

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><p>Private Kururugi Suzaku opened his eyes only to see bright white lights. He turned his head and realized that he was in a medical bay. For a brief moment he wondered why, until the memories of the previous day's ambush in Shinjuku came crashing into his mind just as the Lancelot had crashed into that apartment building. He tried to piece together what had happened but this only left him confused. He remembered combating against the rebels in their stolen Sutherlands and then suddenly coming under fire from every possible direction. The enemy had been using the ghettos to their advantage and had completely outmaneuvered him from the start as if they had already known that he was coming. He had only managed to take out several of their numbers before he was eventually overwhelmed and taken out by the red Glasgow that had first appeared when all of this began. Suzaku groaned as he tried to sit up but winced as the pain from his earlier bullet wound as well as stabbing pain in his head caused him to pause for a brief few moments to allow it to clear.<p>

"Are you awake, Suzaku? Do you remember what happened?" A woman's voice asked him.

Suzaku looked up to notice that Cecile and Lloyd were in the room with him and knew that he was in the medical bay of the Lancelot's mobile base.

"Cecile, what happened in Shinjuku? Did we manage to win?" Suzaku asked.

Cecile could only shake her head causing the Lancelot's devicer to groan.

"I'm afraid not Suzaku. Although you managed to destroy several terrorist Knightmares they had more than we could have expected. Our records indicated that a special shipment of Sutherlands were intercepted by the terrorists and used by them in their assault on our forces. It's quite easy to see that you were baited into an elaborate trap and after you initial assault against the terrorists they quickly managed to outmaneuver you several times with the red Glasgow being used as bait. Judging from the Lancelot's combat data there were at least a dozen more enemy Knightmares hidden in the buildings along both sides of the street. You were outnumbered at least thirteen to one, maybe even more since there were reports of quite a few Sutherlands missing after the battle." Lloyd replied before groaning. "They completely ruined the Lancelot's big debut but due to the armor the frame didn't receive much damage from that building collapsing on you. With the current situation of the higher command we won't be able to deploy the Lancelot again for quite some time."

Seeing Suzaku's confused look Cecile chose to reply. "The top brass weren't too impressed with your initial debut with the Lancelot in the Shinjuku battle. They were even more disappointed of the fact that an honorary Britannian was the pilot of the Lancelot and that you were defeated by a group of elevens with stolen Sutherlands."

"Yes, they raised quite a big stink about the entire situation and said we were trying to make a mockery of them until I pointed out that they were questioning Prince Schneizel's special project.

"It was reasoned as a lack of intel on our part due to their possession of Sutherlands." Cecile said.

"How did terrorists get a hold of so many Knightmares in the first place? If there was supposed to be a special shipment of knightmares delivered to the combat zone then, how could they have known about it." Suzaku asked in alarm.

"I don't know exactly how, Suzaku but it is clear that these were no ordinary terrorists since they were well supplied and well organized. They managed to break into a highly secured military facility and escape with something of great importance to Prince Clovis. I don't even think that the JLF have the proper resources to successfully pull of that kind of operation and they possess Todoh the miracle worker in their ranks. Whoever they were they managed to destroy a large number of our Knightmares and armored vehicles with barely any losses of their own while gaining some of our military equipment as well. Shinjuku is the first time in years the Britannian military has actually been defeated in a real battle since that day seven years ago." Lloyd replied.

"It was more than just that. It was as if they knew that I was coming with the Lancelot and they even seemed to know how I would use it. They completely outmaneuvered me and set up a perfect ambush to keep me pinned down before that red Glasgow took me down." Suzaku said.

"I would like to disagree with you but the results of the battle more than speak for itself. It doesn't make any sense since no one in area 11 other than the Camelot development team knew any details on the Lancelot or how it even looked. Even Prince Clovis only saw it briefly when I first showed it to him and he didn't even bother to learn anything about it other than it was being funded by Prince Schneizel. This recent group of terrorists was strategically capable of taking down on our forces quite efficiently and even defeats a seventh generation Knightmare with an exceptional pilot at the helm." This caused Suzaku to wince in rememberance. "However, it seems that our work will become a lot more interesting in the future." Lloyd replied with a grin before frowning. "Also, during all of the resulting chaos Prince Clovis was killed with Bartley or none of his advisors able to tell how it happened."

Suzaku was shocked by the news of the assassination and was about to reply when several heavily armed Royal Guardsmen burst into the room, weapons at the ready. A finely dressed Britannian officer came in behind them, his uniform adorned with the emblem of the Purist Faction. The Purist Faction was an element of the Britannian military opposed to the incorporation of Numbers into their ranks since they held the belief that only pure blooded Britannians should be allowed to serve in the military. In the wake of Viceroy Clovis's death they quickly asserted their dominance over the military in Area 11 and started cracking down on anyone that did not conform to their views. The man who stood before Suzaku was none other than Jeremiah Gottwald, leader of the Purist Faction. He made eye contact with Suzaku and sneered at him as he spoke with authority.

"Private Kururugi Suzaku, you have been implicated in the assassination of Prince Clovis, Royal Viceroy of Area 11. The charges against you consist of conspiracy, being an accessory to regicide, and high treason. You are to be detained immediately pending the start of your trial in three days."

"Wait Lord Gottwald! Suzaku was in constant communication with us yesterday, and he was unconscious at the time the Viceroy was assassinated. There is no way he could have had anything to do with this!" Cecile quickly protested against the absurd allegations

Jeremiah waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Unfortunately for you and Private Kururugi, Miss Croomy, the Special Corps no longer have any sort of authority here in Area 11. Until the arrival of a new viceroy the purist faction is in charge of all affairs in Area 11. His fate shall be decided by a military court but I wouldn't put too much hope for a positive. The assassination of a Prince of the Empire is a serious offense to the crown and as an eleven he will be an example of to the ignorant masses."

Suzaku sat in his hospital bed in a state of almost complete shock. He had only just learned that Viceroy Clovis had been assassinated and now he was accused himself of being a conspirator. Although Suzaku wanted to protest this accusation, considering his status as an Honorary Britannian he knew better than to try and argue with a very pissed off Nobleman who would be more likely to shoot him than listen. He simply kept his mouth shut as the Royal Guardsmen rolled him off to the hospital's prison wing while Cecile and Lloyd could only watch. However, Suzaku was confident that once he was allowed to have a trial he would be proven innocent since he had faith in the system and its laws but he failed to realize that it was the purist faction that would be presiding over his proceedings.

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><p>Unaware of Suzaku's current fate, Lelouch sighed, heavily as he made his way into his bedroom followed closely by C.C. as she closed the door behind them. The black prince had used the series of underground railway tunnels that ran underneath the Tokyo settlement to get back to Ashford academy. He had stored his pilfered Sutherland in one of the tunnels which was connected to an old evacuation tunnel that had been built by the Ashford family when the school was built but never saw any use. During his previous lifetime he had learned of it from Milly and it would make for a convenient way for him to leave the school grounds since the entrance to the tunnel was located near the student council building and would be easy for him to gain access to. He didn't have to worry about Nunnally or Sayoko noticing him since they both normally asleep by this time since he had taken longer than last time to return to the academy. He knew the Rivalz and the others would have questions for him but he had needed a bit of time to think about his new situation.<p>

He sat down on the edge of his bed before looking up at C.C. "So, are you going to tell me how all of this happened? I clearly remember dying since the last thing I saw was Nunnally hovering over me and crying."

C.C. tilted her head, slightly. "I'm not entirely sure since something like this has ever happened before with those that I've made a contract with. I do have a theory about what may have caused this but I am uncertain if it will hold any weight."

"Well, I'm already confused about this entire situation so any sort of insight you can give me may prove helpful." Lelouch replied.

"I believe that when you confronted Charles and Marianne in the Sword of Akasha and made your request not to stop time that you also indirectly asked them not to stop your time in this world as well. Since your Geass is directly connected to C's world when you died time was reset to when you first acquired your Geass from our contract although it wouldn't require us to enter another one. Your Geass has already fully evolved and you only require a 'code' to gain immortality like myself but I'm not ready for you to fulfill your contract just yet." C.C. explained.

Lelouch nodded. "That seems to make quite a bit of sense. At the time I was only thinking about stopping the plans of my parents from being carried out but this is a most welcome bonus. I've been given a second chance by the gift of Geass and I plan on doing things right this time around. I'm also confused by the fact that my Geass is just as evolved as it was after I defeated father and mother in the Sword of Akasha but I am able to deactivate at will unlike before."

C.C. frowned. "I don't really have an answer for that but I can guess that is a result of your evolved Geass was also affected by the reset and maybe capable of evolving even further but I hope that isn't the case. Last thing I need is a persistent little tyrant gaining even more power than he already has." Lelouch glared at her. "However, I wonder if it was only you that was affected by the reset. I gained memories of myself from the previous timeline when we kissed but I wonder if that was merely because we share a contract with each other. If you are able to produce the same results with others then, it may be beneficial for you in the long run or cause problems if you're not too careful if Charles or V.V. learns of this."

"We'll just have to proceed with caution while rewriting history as we go along." Lelouch said then, frowned. "I also recall that you were constantly in contact with my mother during our time together. Was it only you that she was in contact or was she in contact with my father and V.V. as well?"

"Well, Marianne was only in contact with me due to our previous contract and that was how she kept tabs on you because I allowed her to. I can easily block things from her since I am immune to all forms of Geass as you already know so she won't be a factor if that's what you're worried about. Her spirit still resides in Anya's body and Charles is always keeping a close eye on her to make sure nothing happens to either of them." C.C. replied.

Lelouch nodded before getting up and heading to his desk. "I will have to worry about that later since we still have plenty of time before they can activate the Sword of Akasha. For now I have to start planning out my next few moves since I know that Suzaku is going to be used as a scapegoat by the purist faction for the death of Clovis. I need to get into contact with the rebels as soon as possible and make preparations for his rescue." Lelouch sat down at his desk. "I was able to succeed the first time but I want to make an even greater impact this time around. There are so many things to do and so little time to do it in if I'm going to make things easier for myself this time around. Once I get the rebels to join with me I can work out on how to steal the Lancelot units from Lloyd and I already know how to get in touch with Rakshata but I need to convince her to work with me as well."

C.C. stepped behind him as she draped herself over his back. "I don't think she will be that hard to convince. Once you mention the fact that those Knightmares are works of Lloyd I know she will be happy to work on them for you. I think you may have to be more concerned with how you are going to provide funds for her to complete them since you don't have access to same funds you had as the leader of the Black Knights."

"That is where you are mistaken, Cecilia. You seem to forget that before I gained Geass I already had debts to collect from numerous nobles that I didn't really collect on the last time. If I can get Rakshata and her team to come to Japan all I need to do is give her access to a facility capable of meeting her demands to develop Knightmares and I can begin amassing my forces. I already know of the perfect facility right here in this country that is owned by the Ashford family but due to their fall from grace all of the advanced technology is no longer in use." Lelouch said then, chuckled. "If not for what my father did to them the Ashford's would have been the leaders in Knightmare frame development since did come from so pretty interesting ideas that would've revolutionized the world. I have to remember to thank Milly since she showed me some notes of what her family had planned to make and I can hopefully put their technology to good use. As it stands now the technology is a bit outdated since none of it has been used since the Ganymede prototype was developed but with the right applications of reverse engineering it could easily improve the performance of any existing Knightmare."

"If you knew of this the last time around then, why didn't you do anything about it?" C.C. inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, I didn't learn of this until after my exile from Japan thanks to Sayoko. I didn't have enough resources still remaining here to make any use of the facility so I just left it alone since Rakshata and our supporters in India had already provided us with a sufficient amount of Akatsuki's and the Ikaruga. I'm going to need that technology if the Black Knights are going to be able to stand up against the Eight Generation Knightmares of the Knights of the Round. As it stands, the rebels are in possession of the stolen Sutherlands and I know where I can obtain several Gloucester's as well. Once I make my debut as Zero and impress the Six House of Kyoto we will receive the Burai's and the Guren MKII and that will prove sufficient at first." Lelouch said then, smirked. "However, if I can get Rakshata to join my cause sooner than last time with the addition of the second Lancelot and the Lancelot Club then, things will go a lot smoother. I even plan to have her develop a couple of Eight Generation Frames for us since the only ones we possessed the last time were the Guren Flight Enabled and the Shinkiro. I would like for at least Todoh and the Four Holy Swords to be better equipped to combat against the Knights of the Round."

"Your ideas seem to be solid but who do you plan on having pilot those two units. The only one that may be capable of piloting them would be Kallen and if you gave one to her then, who would make use of the Guren. You won't make contact with Todoh and the Four Holy Swords until after the fall of the JLF and with how effective Kallen is with the Guren it would be a waste not to have her pilot it." C.C. said.

Lelouch ran his hand along the length of her forearm. "I was actually planning on having you piloting one of those units. You are already familiar with how the Lancelot operates since you piloted the Lancelot Frontier quite well against Kallen and the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. despite being at serious disadvantage. You are much better at piloting a Knightmare than I am so you would be a logical choice."

"Are you trying to remind me of how easily I was defeated in that fight? I didn't last more than a couple of minutes against her." C.C. scolded, playfully. "I will admit that other than Kallen I am the only other person that is capable of piloting the Lancelot or the other one. Although, I am wondering why you're not volunteering to use one of them yourself since you're going through all of the trouble of acquiring them in the first place. It would be a lot more impressive of you to use one of them rather than piloting that customized Burai you received from Kyoto. With the amount of trouble you always get into you could use a better Knightmare frame than a remodeled fourth generation one plus you're going to be the leader of the Black Knights as well so the leader should have a Knightmare that stands out."

"Yes, that would be so but currently I suck at close-range Knightmare combat. The Lancelot is best effective in close-range combat because of its maneuverability and agility but I'm not skilled enough to go up against a pilot of Suzaku's caliber just yet. Even if I used one the way I usually due Suzaku or even Cornelia would be able to get close enough to me to force me into a bad situation. I was planning to give the Lancelot Club to Todoh since he is quite the Knightmare pilot and with the Zangetsu was able to contend with Suzaku. Plus, Suzaku once told me that piloting the Lancelot can take a lot out of a person due to the high specs of the frame and I'm not exactly the most athletic guy around." Lelouch replied.

C.C. giggled. "Yeah, you're more on the feminine frail side and your stamina is downright pathetic but you don't give yourself enough credit, Lelouch. Marianne was a very gifted Knightmare pilot and I can see that you got some of your piloting skills from her as well." C.C. adopted a serious expression. "You sell yourself short since you tend to focus more on fighting strategically by sitting back instead of engaging your opponents directly but I may be able to help you with that. Your intellect already makes you a dangerous opponent and you proved that when you fought against the Knights of the Round and you did manage to hold your own quite well. If we both take the time to improve our piloting skills then, I'm sure we could be just as good as Kallen and Suzaku since they didn't necessarily start out all that great but they constantly improved with every battle they participated in just like you did."

Lelouch thought about what she said and had to admit she was correct. When he had first begun piloting a Knightmare he could barely even properly aim a rifle correctly since he was always more concerned about staying out of direct combat and allowing the others to fight while he gave out orders. He had to admit that he did improve over time but he still retained his old habit of staying back out of direct combat unless it was absolutely necessary. Plus, he had known of special military grade Knightmare combat simulation machines that had been owned by a few nobles that lived in the Tokyo settlement but had never bothered with trying to acquire one before he had begun his rebellion and was too busy afterwards.

"I guess you do have a point, Cecilia. Besides, if the king does is not willing to lead, his subordinates will not follow. This time Zero will be more than just the masked revolutionary that speaks passionately about justice." Lelouch said then, sighed. "I just hope I know what I'm doing by letting you talk me into this."

"You worry far too much and you already used to take plenty of risks so this should be no different. I will be standing right there beside you this time instead of hiding in the shadows and with Kallen as well we should be able to handle anything." C.C. said.

Lelouch chuckled. "Why couldn't you have been this assertive the first time around? It would've made things a lot simpler if you had."

C.C. grimaced. "You seem to forget that last time I was trying to remain hidden from the Geass Directorate so I wasn't too keen on announcing my presence to the world after what happened to me when I was captured by Clovis. Although, once I did that didn't stop all of the rumors going around about me being your mistress and causing all sorts of awkward situations for you when I did decide to show myself."

Lelouch groaned. "Don't remind me of how much of a pain you were. Your obsession for pizza caused me enough of a headache that time during the festival and all of the other little stunts you pulled had me wanting to pull my hair out." Lelouch frowned as he reached up to grip her hands. "However, we've been through a lot together and I know that I can trust you to stay by my side throughout all of this. I don't want to force you to pilot a Knightmare or anything else if you don't want to because even if you are an immortal there is always a risk of you becoming hurt because of the decisions I make. You are just as important to me as Kallen and Nunnally that is why I want to create a world where all of us can live together peacefully."

C.C. smiled. "You can be rather romantic when you want to be and I have to admit you have become quite important to me as well. However, don't think for a second that you should always have to take responsibility for things you have no fault in. I told you before that we are accomplices and I have a vested interest in your future so I'm not going to let anything happen to you if I can avoid it." A small frown graced her features. "You are the first person to truly ever care about me despite all of my attempts to remain distant from you and how selfish I was in how I was using you for my own gain."

"You don't need to apologize about anything since it is all in the past, figuratively speaking. I also used you for my own gain in order to get my revenge against my father and the corruption that plagued Britannia. After learning of how much you have suffered over the years I couldn't blame you for wanting to keep your distance because I also felt the same way about you, Kallen, and Shirley." Lelouch grimaced as he thought of the orangette. "I will use this chance to make things right this time around and I intend to do my revolution the right way. I will admit that even though I know much of what is going to happen some of it may be unavoidable since I learned that even my most thought out plan had a tendency to backfire on me. I didn't realize until my last moments that even though I was granting Nunnally's wish for a peaceful world that I was also causing her pain as well since I was a constant in her life for a long time only for my own foolish plan to take me away from her."

C.C. suddenly released her hold around his neck and spun his chair around so that he was facing her again. Lelouch was curious of her actions until she suddenly straddled his lap and draped her arms across his shoulders as a coy smile appeared on her face. The black prince responded by wrapping his arms around her slender waist in response as he gazed up into her golden eyes.

"You are starting to annoy me by constantly talking about your regrets from your past life. Take from me when I say that worrying about such trivial matters will get you nowhere at all. Just go about doing things like you did before with a little twist and things will more than likely turn out for the best." C.C. leaned down to capture his lips in a brief kiss. "For now I want you to rest since you've already had a tiring day as is and you have plenty of time to plot on how to defeat your enemies."

Lelouch sighed then, smiled at her. "You're right, Cecilia. I've been worrying so much about how I'm going to change things but I guess I can just take things slowly for now. I can't really do anything until I get Ohgi and the others to join me so I can be patient."

"I'm glad that you see it my way." C.C. said as she got up from her position. "Now, I'm going to bed and you may join me if you wish."

Lelouch could only watch with amusement as she casually began to strip out of the bondage suit until she was only wearing a white bra and white panties set as she sat at the edge of the bed. He couldn't help but drink in her beautiful form and began to shift a bit uncomfortably as his thoughts began to take another direction. C.C. noticed this and giggled before giving him another coy smirk as she held her arms out to him as an open invitation to join her which the former emperor was glad to accept. He climbed to his feet and quickly stripped down to his own underwear before joining her in his bed as he positioned himself atop her and engaging in a passionate make-out session with the green-haired beauty. It wasn't long after the two fell asleep with Lelouch's arms wrapped around his white witch as the reality of his new situation became but a mere thought in the back of his mind.

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><p>The following morning went by in a blur and Lelouch once again found himself falling asleep. He received a very interesting wakeup call in the form of C.C. lying atop him and kissing him until he awoke moments later. After another brief make-out session he had gotten up and got dressed for school then, left but not before instructing C.C. to get into contact with Villetta. He was aware of a stash of Gloucesters that hadn't been used by Clovis but would be used by Cornelia when she arrived but he wanted to get his hands on them first to bolster his ranks. The immortal witch had assured him that she would be able to handle the situation since the command of his Geass on Villetta would cause her to obey her as well. Upon leaving his room he had joined Nunnally for breakfast like normal and had to make a quick story about why he hadn't been there to tuck her in like normal. He had told her that he had to been out with Rivalz when the terrorist attack had begun with them being separated and himself getting caught up in the mix of things. He was rescued by some Britannian soldiers and was kept safe until everything was over before being returned back to Ashford late that evening. He hated lying to her but he didn't want her to begin worrying about him more than she already was even if he knew that soon that wouldn't be the case.<p>

He now found himself in the student council meeting room as a part of his normal morning duties as the student council Vie-President and for the sake of appearance he was pretending to be asleep.

"Wake up Lelouch." The familiar voice of Milly, the student body president and one of his dearest friends, ordered him as she beat him in the head with a roll of documents to garner his attention. "I know you were sleeping, your hand stop moving." Milly said as he continued to assault the former emperor's head with the thick roll of documents.

'_I think she gets some sort of sick enjoyment in constantly doing that.'_ Lelouch thought with a wince. "Well, you don't have to beat me up over it. I had a really long and tiring day, yesterday." Lelouch replied as he lifted his head to regard the blond Ashford heiress.

Rivalz snickered at the predicament of his friend. "Well, that serves you right for ditching me so suddenly."

"Yeah, what was up with you yesterday, Lulu? I tried calling you several times but you never answered or returned my call." Shirley said with a stern expression. "You and Rivalz skipped school to go gambling again, didn't you?"

Lelouch paused for a moment as he gazed at the beautiful orangette that had confessed her love for him after being shot by Rolo right before her untimely death. The fact that she had died in his arms was something that caused him quite a bit of grief even after he had tried to keep her out of harm's way by erasing her memories of him. If not for the fact that Jeremiah had been converted to a cyborg assassin by V.V. and the Geass Directorate and equipped with a Geass Canceller before being sent to kill him then, she would've most likely have lived through the remainder of the war. He also blamed Suzaku in a way since he had asked him to keep her out of harm's way but he didn't and her desire to confront him for answers led to her death.

Lelouch sighed, dramatically. "I guess I can't hide it from you, Shirley. Yeah, we did go gambling for a bit since I was asked to help out a friend of mine but after we left we kinda got dragged into the middle of the terrorist attack. I got separated from Rivalz when I went to check on the passengers of the truck that crashed after almost running us of the road. It turned out that they were the terrorists and when I ran to get away from them I ended up in Shinjuku but luckily I was found by some Britannian soldiers and was kept out of harm's way until everything was over. I was interrogated for a bit to make sure that I didn't have anything to do with the terrorists and didn't return to the academy to late in the evening."

Shirley calmed a bit. "You weren't hurt or anything, were you?"

"No, I was lucky to not get caught up in any unpleasant situations before I was found. Since I was in the Shinjuku ghettos I probably didn't have any reception and that was why I didn't answer your calls. Plus, they confiscated my cell afterwards and didn't return it until I was released. I was so mentally exhausted that I only thought about check on Nunnally and Sayoko after I returned before I went to bed." Lelouch said then, smiled. "I'm sorry that I worried you so much and I'm grateful that you were so concerned about my well-being."

"Oh, Lulu." Shirley said as she blushed due to the fact his charming smile was aimed at her.

Each of his friends had been giving him concerned looks throughout his explanation but he had expected that with them hearing his modified story. _'Shirley, I promise that I won't make the same mistake as last time and you will live through this. Maybe, I can provide you some measure of happiness to compensate for the pain that I may still end up causing you in the future.'_

"Well, that's enough of that. As interesting as Lulu's little adventure with the terrorist was we still have a school budget to balance." Milly said as she drew everyone's attention back to her. "If we don't get the club activities budget figured out by the end of the day then, there won't be enough money left over for anything else.

"If it comes to that point," Nina mumbled while still focused on her computer screen.

"Then the equestrian club would be pissed and would come charging in here on horseback." Rivalz said in a joking tone.

"Rivalz, could you be a more serious student council member?" Milly scolded as she hit him across the head with her rolled up documents and at the same time a member of the equestrian club rode passes the window on horseback.

Rivalz blinked in shock before rubbing the back of his head, sheepishly.

"You could have told us about that yesterday President." Shirley complained.

"Or how about you tell us about it tomorrow?" Rivalz added.

"You know, we could still do that." Lelouch added in agreement.

"GUTS!" Milly roared out, startling everyone in the process.

'_I get to relive my past and that is still annoying as hell.'_ Lelouch thought in annoyance.

"I don't think one of your 'Guts' spells is going to be enough to help us out this time, Milly." Lelouch offered with a smile in her direction.

He found it quite amusing to see the Ashford heiress react in the same manner as Shirley whenever he smiled at her and even Rivalz had commented one time that she seemed to have an interest in him at one point. Lelouch had found it amusing and had teased Rivalz about making an attempt at her causing him to go into a rant about how he was taking all of the girls away from him.

Milly flushed pink after witnessing Lelouch's smile before clearing her throat. "D-don't you start doubting in my power!" The Ashford heiress chastised the former emperor as she calmed herself. "With Guts, we can do anything!"

"I agree!" Shirley opinioned, raising her hand with a supportive smile. "I always feel fired up after one of your 'Guts' cries!"

"Supple AND willing." Milly noted with approval and a suggestive gleam in her eye, straightening up to smile at the younger girl, hands on her hips. "That's what I like about you."

"I train hard in the swimming club." Shirley boasted while pumping her arm for emphasis, only to blink as Milly chuckled in amusement. "What?"

"That's not what I meant." The Council President countered with a sly tone as her eyes flickered to Shirley's breasts beneath her school blazer. "You're a ten from what I've seen in the girl's bathroom." She smiled at the flustered girl's discomfort and pressed even more. "You've been filling out in all the right places, huh?"

"That she has." Lelouch chuckled, earning a startled gasp from Shirley, who covered herself up with a look of surprise. "You'll catch up to Milly quite soon."

This time it was Milly's turn to blush. "D-Don't tell me you've been spying on us innocent girls?"

"You wound me with such an accusation, Madam President. I am just like any other normal guy so I'm allowed to appreciate the beauty of the female form from time to time, am I not?" Lelouch said with a wink in their direction.

Rivalz could only gape at his friend in disbelief as he was actively flirting with both girls. Milly and Shirley were blushing an even darker shade of pink and Lelouch even noticed that Nina was looking in his direction before he winked at her causing the shy girl to quickly look away with her own blush.

Lelouch was amused by all of this and could see how C.C. was rubbing off on him with her constant teasing of others. He shifted his gaze back over to Nina and narrowed his eyes a bit as he regarded the inventor of the F.L.E.I.J.A warhead. He planned to use his geass on the shy genius to bring her to the side of the Black Knights since her knowledge would be useful in the long run in making his forces even stronger than before.

'_These are the times that I greatly missed and would've enjoyed if not for my quest for revenge. I could easily just enjoy this chance I've been given and spend with my friends but knowing what the emperor and mother have planned I can't. I have to make sure that things go right this time around and that Euphie's death and the betrayal of the Black Knights don't happen.'_ Lelouch thought.

As the meeting came to an end news of the previous day's events in Shinjuku began to appear on the news. Just like last time it was heavily biased in favor of the Britannian colonial government. The broadcasts contained the fact that terrorists had released poison gas into the ghetto while attempting to avoid capture by Britannian military forces but there was no mention of the actual battle that ended in Britannia's defeat or the death of Clovis which didn't surprise Lelouch at all. He already knew that Jeremiah and the Purist faction were going to use Suzaku as a scapegoat to assert their claim for power. Just like last time going to use this event to make his debut as Zero but he was going to make a few changes as well.

Lelouch gathered his papers and left the council room with the excuse that he was going to check up on his sister but had told Shirley that he wanted to have lunch with her later on if she didn't mind. The orangette was shocked that her crush wanted to join her for lunch since she was going to ask him but her beat her to it and was once again a blushing mess as she nervously agreed. The black prince could tell that he was seemingly out of character with his sudden flirting if the looks from the others were anything to go by but he couldn't resist. He hadn't bothered with doing so the last time around despite the fact that he was extremely popular with the girls at the academy but he was taking this second chance to express himself more than he had before.

The black prince was drawn away from any thoughts along this line when he turned a corner and suddenly collided with someone and from the feminine cry of surprise it was definitely a girl. He managed to catch himself as his back hit the wall while catching the girl as she fell against him while his papers were scattered across the floor. He found himself shocked when it was revealed that he currently had his crimson queen, Kallen Kouzuki or Kallen Stadtfeld, as she was currently in her guise as the sickly heiress of the Stadtfeld family. The black prince felt a pain grip his heart as he stared into the clear blue eyes of another woman that had come to mean so much to him in his previous life time but had cast aside for the sake of making sure his plan came to fruition.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Kallen gave a soft-spoken response as Lelouch gazed down into her demure facial expression. "Are you alright?"

Lelouch had the fight the sudden urge to just kiss her at that moment. "No, I should be asking that of you since it was my fault. I should've been paying more attention to my surroundings but I'm kinda in a rush." He briefly tightened his hold on her as was reward with a look of surprise as her cheeks tinted pink while her friends whispered in the back while giggling.

"No, it was my fault as well." Kallen assured as he released his hold on her before crouching down to gather his papers. "Here let me help you with that."

"I appreciate your help and these things tend to happen when people are in a rush." Lelouch replied with a smile as she crouched down as well.

As she handed him her gathered papers Kallen averted her gaze, slightly to avoid looking at his smile while her blush was still prominent but looked up again when her hand made contact with his. She made to stand up as she withdrew her hand, Lelouch surprised her again as he gripped her hand in a soft grip.

"I believe your name is Kallen Stadtfeld, if I'm not mistaken?" Lelouch said causing her to look at him in confusion as they both rose to their feet. "My name is Lelouch Lamperouge and we're in the same class. I'm not surprised you don't recognize me since you didn't really attend class much the previous year."

"Yes, because of my poor health I require a lot of medical attention that requires me to be away from school quite often." Kallen replied, still blushing from the fact he was holding her hand and the incessant whispers of her friends at the display.

"Well, I hope I get the chance to get better acquainted with you this time around." Lelouch said as he lifted her hand to his lips to bestow a brief kiss to her knuckles. "Until we meet again, Miss Stadtfeld."

"Y-Yeah!" Kallen replied with a stutter.

With that being said, he released her hand and continued on his path leaving a blushing Kallen to be hounded by her friends as she cast an occasional backwards glance at his retreating form. After checking in on Nunnally, he had attended his classes like normal and had even participated in his gym class much to the shock of the teacher and his fellow classmates. He was rather embarrassed by his pathetic performance but reasoned that it was necessary after realizing how pathetic he really was physically. He planned to work out more in his spare time since he had always been jealous of Suzaku's physical prowess and was going to get Todoh to continue his lessons first chance he got.

He also made sure to have numerous small greetings with Kallen in the company of her friends with comments that always left her blushing with her friends commenting on his interactions with her. Rivalz had noticed this and commented on his sudden interest in the demure beauty while informing him of her standings as the Stadtfeld heiress and other little tidbits of information that he was already aware of. He had even made a point to sit next Shirley during class as well since no class had an assigned seating pattern which left the poor girl blushing and stuttering in her speech since he was still occasionally flirting with her. As class ended he had reminded her of his request to have lunch with her with the orangette being grateful he didn't have some excuse not to like he normally did.

The two were now seated in the open courtyard on a bench as Shirley was sharing some of the lunch with him that she had prepared herself just for this occasion. Lelouch had graciously accepted while commenting that he would like to try more of her cooking since she was a pretty good cook. Of course this caused the girl to blush a deep shade of red from receiving praise from her not so secret crush to which Lelouch commented on.

"Shirley, you're really cute whenever you get all shy and flustered like that." Lelouch said with a smile.

"L-Lulu?" Shirley said as she looked down at her knees, still blushing. "W-What's with you all of a sudden?"

Lelouch adopted a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Shirley took a deep breath. "You never used to flirt like this before. You even had madam president blushing earlier and that just doesn't seem to be like you."

"Well, I've realized that I've been much of a jerk in the past and I decided I had enough of that. I'm not blind to not have noticed that you've have a keen interest in me but I always used to give you the impression that you weren't worth my time." Lelouch replied.

Shirley looked up, quickly. "No, you didn't make me feel like that at all. I just figured that since so many of the girls were always trying to ask you out you didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by going out with someone."

Lelouch grimaced. "Yes, I am quite aware of how much attention I get from our female classmates. That is also one of the reasons why I never showed any active interest in you because I know that they would become jealous of you quite easily. It was easy for me to look at you more than the others since I've come to know you quite well over the time we've known each other. I just ask that you be patient with me for now."

"Sure thing, Lulu." Shirley replied with a smile but on the inside she was extremely giddy. _'He's practically telling me that he wouldn't mind if I asked him to be my boyfriend. I don't care if the others get jealous or not I will make Lulu mine.'_

'_I promise I won't just ignore you this time around, Shirley.'_ Lelouch thought.

His attention was suddenly drawn away from the girl beside him by several girlish shrieks and turned in the direction of the sound. He noticed that it was Kallen and her group of friends and just like last time they were reacting to in typical manner to a bee having flown into their midst. The girls separated with Kallen only hesitating a second before remembering her act and taking off in several different directions. It ended up that Kallen had run behind a bush that was quite close to where he and Shirley were sitting. Lelouch smirked to himself as he decided to mess with her head a bit but he would have to play things carefully so he wouldn't draw to much suspicion from Shirley since he knew she would easily take it the wrong way. He quickly made up an excuse to have to go meet up with Rivalz about something while telling her to wait for him in the student council room which she readily agreed before heading on her way as left as well.

Kallen found herself extremely frustrated with her entire situation at the moment. The reason being was because she was once again forced to attend Ashford academy and play the role of Kallen Stadtfeld, the meek, sickly heiress of the Stadtfeld family. She hated having to play up the guise but it was because of her brother, Naoto Kouzuki that she had first begun acting this way. After the Stadtfeld family had split her and Naoto up and brought her into their home at the request of her father she had been playing this role as spite against her Britannian side. She had hated living with the Stadtfeld family since she was being expected to be just like her stepmother who had the gall to parade her around in front of other nobles like some sort of doll. She shuddered as she recalled all of the times Barons, Dukes, and other nobleman had commented on her beauty and if not for her sickly act she knew act she knew her stepmother would've had her in an arrange marriage with one of the most distinguished men to gain even more status for the Stadtfeld name. Her situation got even worse as she had to watch as her mother was employed by the Stadtfeld family as a maid but she always performed her job poorly and was constantly scolded by her stepmother for her mistakes. It disgusted her to see her to see the woman appear so weak even though Naoto tried to tell her that she had her reasons for doing the things she did.

However, things seemed to get better for her when Naoto had become so disgusted by the treatment of the Japanese by the rebels that he eventually started his own resistance cell and began engaging in acts of terrorism. Naturally, she wanted to join once she found out and after much persuasion on her part she had convinced him to let her join where she quickly proved her worth by becoming their top Knightmare pilot. They had engaged in plenty of terrorist acts against the Britannians and thought that with enough effort on their part alongside other resistance cells they could gain the opportunity to free their country from Britannian rule. It wasn't until she lost her brother in one of their raids that she really began to despise all Britannians with a passion. Her anger and grief had forced her to become an even better Knightmare pilot but it was their last mission that threw her for quite the loop.

She had thought that would've been her last mission when she had been cornered by that group of Sutherlands when that mysterious voice had contacted her and the others along with the Sutherland that had rescued her. After giving them access to a train full of Sutherlands that mysterious voice had led their group into their first major victory against Britannian forces and had even gave them access to better Knightmare frames other than the Glasgow she piloted. She was also frustrated that the owner of the voice had disappeared in the aftermath of Shinjuku with Ohgi and the others now making efforts to find out who it was. She was also confused as to why the person spoke as if he knew her but she didn't know how because she didn't recognize the voice. Although, when she had run into Lelouch Lamperouge earlier his voice had sounded similar but she had dismissed it since Lelouch was Britannian and she doubted he would've been capable of helping them. She hated to admit it but ever since their earlier encounter she had been thinking about him quite a bit and it didn't help that her so called friends had a crush on him like most of the girls in school and were going on about how cute he was while commenting on how lucky she was to have him hold her like he did. Plus, add on all of their little encounters throughout the day were he would constantly greet her and it wasn't making it any easier to explain to her friends that nothing was going on between them.

'_Whoever that was said that he would contact us again so I just have to wait until then to get my answers.'_ Kallen thought while the same bee from earlier buzzed around her head.

Gritting her teeth, she lashed out and struck the bee with such precision that she sliced it in half. With that annoyance taken care of she angrily took a bit out of her sandwich, taking a few moments to chew it before swallowing. "God I really hate this. I'm sick of having to act like….."

"A weakling." A familiar, male voice said from nearby causing her to whip around in surprise to see Lelouch standing a few feet away from her.

'_Shit, he saw me.'_ Kallen was cursing her luck for not paying more attention to her surroundings. "Can I help you with anything this time, Lelouch?" Kallen asked as she reverted to her meek personality.

Lelouch chuckled as he saw this since she was so damn cute whenever she acted so meek like this. "I find myself wondering whether I am talking to the real Kallen at all."

Kallen blushed. "W-What do you mean?"

"From what I just saw didn't look like something the sickly Kallen Stadtfeld would've been capable of. I'm beginning to wonder if it is all just an act, Q1." Lelouch said and was amused when she flinched in response. "By your obvious reaction you have just answered my question."

She quickly dropped her meek façade to glare at him. "What are you going on about and why did you call me Q1?" Kallen demanded while discreetly reaching for her purse which contained her switchblade.

Her answer came in the form of a cell phone being tossed at her which quickly caught. She stared at the item in her hand for a moment before looking back at Lelouch in obvious confusion.

"That is a gift from our mutual friend, Zero. He wanted me to give that to you and asks that you keep that on you at all times since he will be contacting you very soon." Lelouch replied.

"I don't know how you know that name but I can't let you live with that knowledge." Kallen said as she drew her switchblade.

Lelouch held his hands. "I really don't think you want to try something like that in such an open setting. Besides, if any harm were to come to me then, I can assure you that you won't receive any more help from Zero. We have a very close business relationship and he views me as a valued comrade in his quest."

Kallen took a step forward in a threatening manner. "You better start talking right now of else."

Lelouch scowled. "Let's just say that not every Britannian is happy with what the empire is doing. Much like yourself the empire has taken something very important from me and I seek revenge against them for the injustice that was done to me. I was approached by mysterious letter by the man known only as Zero and he offered me the chance to gain my revenge if I was willing to join in his cause to fight against the corruption that plagued Britannia and I gladly accepted."

Kallen was still suspicious. "What sort of connection do you really have with Zero and how do I know that you aren't lying to me?"

"That's quite simple since how else would I know of Zero and his reference to you as Q1 if I didn't know him personally? You were the pilot of the red Glasgow in Shinjuku and it was because of a few strings that he and I pulled that your friends were given access to that train full of Sutherlands. Like myself, Zero has also suffered at the hands of the corruption of the empire and seeks his own revenge against them." Lelouch said before chuckling. "I know that what I am saying to you may be hard to believe but I can assure you that it is the truth. The empire has become corrupted under the leadership of the emperor, Charles Zi Britannia and Zero wishes to purge that corruption and his first step in his plan is to free Japan once again. That is why he helped you and your friends the other day since he saw that each of you had the drive to do what was necessary so he offered assistance just as I am doing the same. Plus, the battle at Shinjuku was nothing more than a slaughter of innocent Japanese civilians and neither Zero or myself could just stand back and watch it take place."

Kallen was taken back a bit by the amount of venom and hatred that came from Lelouch's words as he spoke of Britannia. She had never met a Britannian that hated the empire and his hate was even stronger than hers. She couldn't find any signs of deceit in his words and he was also saying that the mysterious Zero hated the empire just as much but she was still confused why they had gone out of their way to help them in Shinjuku. She watched as he seemed to take a few deep breaths to calm himself but inwardly he was smirking at his obvious act. He knew that always been a bit to curious for her own good and he was going to exploit that to gain her trust.

"I apologize for my sudden outburst, Kallen. The very thought of all that I have lost because of Britannia tends to have that effect on me at times." Lelouch gave a small bow. "I do not know his true identity since he always wears a mask whenever I met him in person so I don't know if he is Britannian or Japanese. However, I do know for certain that he wishes to free Japan and bring down the empire so if you wish to do the same then, I would advise you to accept his offer to join him. You have already witnessed the fact that he is a brilliant tactician by giving you the means to victory over Britannia and he was even able to arrange that ceasefire order and spared the lives of many innocent civilians. The two of us have connections that would be of great use to you and your group."

Kallen seemed to calm down as she put her switchblade away. "I guess I can talk to the others about this but if this is some sort of trap then, you better hope I never see you again."

Lelouch chuckled as he walked closer to her and stood before her. "I can assure you that if you join with Zero then, your dream of Japan being free from Britannian rule will become a reality." He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips once again. "I look forward to working alongside of you in the near future."

Despite her mistrust of Lelouch, Kallen once again found herself blushing as he released her hand and walked away from her. She was glad that no one had taken note of their conversation but she couldn't help but be intrigued by Lelouch.

'_For your sake, I hope that you're telling me the truth because I wouldn't mind working alongside of you as well.' _Kallen thought with a blush while trying to convince herself that her reasoning had nothing to do with the fact she found him to be extremely cute.

She had to contact Ohgi and the others soon to let them know of this recent development so that they could take proper precautions just in case this was a trap. For now she would have to wait out the rest of the school day and continue with her act.

* * *

><p>Lelouch rounded the corner that would take him on the path to the student council building and found C.C. waiting for him while standing beneath a tree off of the path. He noted that she was dressed in an Ashford academy school uniform to avoid suspicions as he made his way over to her. The green-haired immortal smiled at him as he approached and once he was close enough caught him in a brief kiss which he gladly returned.<p>

"So, I take it that you already handled your business with Villetta?" Lelouch asked once they separated.

"Yes, it was rather easy once I made contact with her your geass command activated and she helped me to gain access to eight Gloucesters. I have to agree with you assessment of your brother, Prince Clovis in the fact that he was a fool. The Gloucesters weren't even stationed on a military base but at a warehouse at the harbor that wasn't even guarded. Although, the fact that the warehouse was less likely to be used by any terrorist factions since the area is normally monitored by the Knight police but we were able to use a transport and get away without being spotted. Currently, I have the transport parked where it should be safe for a couple of days and Villetta has returned to the base to wait for further orders." C.C. replied then, smiled. "I also learned of the location of Lloyd's little pet project and can help you work out a plan to gain access to them but it will require the use of your Geass to gain more sleeper agents."

"That is most excellent news and you've proven yourself to be very useful as I expected, Cecilia. I just made contact with Kallen and I already know that she will contact Ohgi and the others to tell them of our little conversation." Lelouch said.

C.C. nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of that and I must applaud you on your acting. If I didn't already know the truth you would've probably convinced me as well but I have to say you are taking a bit of risk."

"I know that I am but I need to get them to trust me and this is the best options. The last time they were already suspicious of me because of all of the information I tended to withheld from them. That was how Schneizel was able to use their lack of trust in me to manipulate them and turn them against me but I'm not going to make that same mistake again." Lelouch said.

"So, do you plan to tell them about your Geass?" C.C. inquired.

"Yes, I most definitely will. I will explain to them what my power is capable of and make assurances to them that I will not use it on them." Lelouch replied, instantly.

"I figured as much so I took the liberty of having Geass countering glass being made for you in addition to the Black Knights uniforms. Everything should be ready for you in time for your big debut." C.C. said then, smirked. "Since I've did extra for you I believe that you owe me a pizza."

Lelouch shook his head before smiling at the girl. "I don't know what I would do without you, Cecilia."

C.C. gave him a coy smile. "Let's hope that you never find out. I need you to lighten up as much as possible since with how moody you started becoming made you less fun to mess with."

Lelouch chuckled before telling her that he would meet up with her later in his room as she made herself scarce. The violet eyed teen went on to meet up with Shirley for a bit before they had to return to class. Throughout the rest of the day, he noticed that Kallen was constantly glancing in his direction and whenever he caught her eye this caused him to mentally chuckle at her actions. He had already planted a new seed and now he just had to sit back and watch it come to fruition under his careful guidance.

* * *

><p>Kallen was glad that school was finally over for the day since it now gave her a chance to get in contact with Ohgi and the others. She would've done so after her meeting with Lelouch but her 'friends' had found her again and it was difficult for her to get any alone time for the rest of the day. She constantly found her attention being drawn back to Lelouch and whenever he would catch her looking she felt a strange thrill run through her body that left her feeling flushed afterwards. She didn't know what it was about this particular Britannian that caught her attention other than the fact that he claimed to be in league with the mysterious Zero that had helped them in Shinjuku. For now she would just have to talk with her friends and see what they thought of the entire situation with Lelouch and Zero.<p>

Kallen arrived at modest apartment building located in on the outskirts of the Shinjuku Ghettos that acted as a meeting place for her group of rebels. She made her way to the door that belonged to Ohgi and knocked in a specific manner and waited a few moments before the door was opened to reveal Ohgi. She could see that Tamaki and the others were there also so it made it easier for her to talk with everyone at once.

"Kallen, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to lay low for a couple of days." Ohgi said as he allowed her inside and shut the door behind her.

The other looked up as they noticed their ace pilot enter the room and wondered what was up.

"I know but I need to talk with you and the others about something important." Kallen replied as she stepped past Ohgi.

Ohgi looked worried. "Did something go wrong? Are you in any sort of trouble?"

Kallen waved off his concern. "No, I'm fine but I want to know if you receive any more contacts from that voice from the other day."

"No, not yet but what does that have to do with you coming here?" Ohgi inquired.

"I think I may have gotten a lead on our mysterious friend." Kallen replied. "I was approached by a student at school who claims to be in league with the guy. His name is Lelouch Lamperouge and he called me Q1 and even confirmed the voice belonged to this 'Zero' guy that I believe was piloting that Sutherland that saved me. The only way he could've known that is if he's actually talked to the guy since not even the Britannians would know that bit of information."

"Are you sure you can trust the guy? I mean he is Britannian after all." Tamaki said.

"I know that but after listening to him I think he's legit in his claim. From what I learned from him he seems to hate Britannia as well since he claims that he has suffered at the hands of the empire just as much as we have. He claims it was because of a few strings he and Zero pulled that we were able to get a hold of those Sutherlands that we have." Kallen pulled out the cell Lelouch gave her. "He gave me this cell and told me that Zero would be contacting me in a couple of days with some sort of offer and I'm guessing it's for us to join up with him."

"You seem to make a good point but you're taking the word of a Britannian and a student no less. The facts are all there that he's telling us the truth but I can't shake the feeling that this is some sort of trap." Ohgi said, still unconvinced.

"I don't think that's possible." Kallen replied and before Ohgi could interrupt she continued. "I mean I can't blame you for being suspicious since this Zero guy came out of nowhere but he did lead us to victory over the Britannians and if it wasn't for him we would've been captured or killed back in Shinjuku. Lelouch claims that it was also Zero that got Prince Clovis to call for that ceasefire that saved our lives. Plus, he even came up with the strategy that took down that white Knightmare that took out several of our comrades with ease. I hate to admit it but up until Shinjuku we never did have any real success against the Britannians and I think we might be able to really accomplish something if we join up with the two of them."

Ohgi took a moment to think over what was being said. "Okay, I guess we can at least hear them out when he contacts you. However, I want you to keep an eye on this Lelouch and make sure that everything remains legit. I'm not going to walk into an obvious trap if I can avoid it."

"Don't worry I was already planning to." Kallen said before walking back to the door. "I'll contact you guys as soon as I hear from Zero and let you know what's up."

"Okay and stay safe, Kallen." Ohgi replied.

Kallen nodded in agreement before leaving as Ohgi closed the door behind her. He turned back to the others who all had various facial expressions in light of this recent development.

"So, what do you guys think?" Ohgi asked even if he could already guess their answers.

"It sounds a little bit too suspicious that a Britannian student would suddenly approach Kallen out of the blue just like that." Minami said. "We don't even know if this Zero guy even made it out of Shinjuku safely. If he was captured then, the Britannians could've forced the answers out of him and used that kid to confront Kallen with false information."

"The problem with that theory is how they even knew that Kallen is one of us. She is the heiress to the Stadtfeld family and her little sick act makes her the less suspicious person out of all of us." Inoue said.

"Inoue has a point since Kallen would be the last person that anyone would suspect to be a terrorist. The fact that this kid just happened to point her out like that means that whoever Zero is he's been keeping an eye on us for some time now. Everything that Kallen said makes it easy to believe that everything he told her about Zero and his connection are legit. Plus, Zero did manage to save our lives back there in Shinjuku and gave us a victory that not even I could've pulled off on my best day." Ohgi said.

"I still don't trust this Zero or that kid. Why would a Britannian student want to aid rebels in the first place? Something just doesn't add up about this entire situation at all and I think we should forget the guy." Tamaki said.

"You sure can change your mind very quickly about the guy. Just the other day you were praising him for helping us beat those Britannians and giving us a few Knightmares over our own. Now you're back to saying that we shouldn't trust him just because you don't know who he is or why he's helping us." Kento said with a shake of his head.

Tamaki glared at him. "Of course I don't trust the guy since he's working with some punk Britannian kid."

"That's enough for now. We'll just wait to see what the two of them have to say before we make our decision." Ohgi said. "When we go to meet them I want everyone to be armed and ready just in case something happens."

Tamaki and the others nodded in agreement before returning back to what they had been doing before Kallen arrived. Ohgi had to think on this for a moment as he tried to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. On one hand, if he was to believe the words of Lelouch then, it was because of the two of them they had access to twenty-three Sutherlands out of the original thirty they started out with and the reason behind their victory at Shinjuku. At first he didn't want to trust some mysterious voice but once they began to systematically take down the Britannian forces he had decided to go with the flow. They weren't a large organization like the JLF with his resistance cell being a maximum of about fifty people at most but with the help of Lelouch and Zero they had survived against impossible odds. He knew that if they were going to really have a chance to make a stand against Britannia then, they would need the help of people like Lelouch and Zero.

'_I wonder what Naoto would've done in this situation.'_ Ohgi thought.

* * *

><p>After taking the first steps of his revised plan for his revolution, Lelouch was now doing something else that was extremely good at and that was doting on his beloved sister, Nunnally. Last time around he had made far too many mistakes and ended up with her being taking back to the empire after his capture during the Black Rebellion and becoming his enemy as the Viceroy of area 11. Plus, when he had chosen to go through with Zero's Requiem she had sided with Schneizel and had deemed him a monster and it had pained him to put up the façade that he was going to execute alongside the rest of the Black Knights that had betrayed him. He listened as she told him of all the things that she and Sayoko had done over the course of the day as he cut up a piece of steak for her and fed her.<p>

The Nunnally before him was very same sweet and gentle girl that he had went to war with Britannia for in the first place. She had no memories of him killing their brother, Clovis or being used by the Emperor, Suzaku, and Schneizel as a means to control him after the Black Rebellion. She had no memories of threatening to use the Damocles against him to stop him from conquering the world or being placed under the control of his Geass before finally coming to realize how much he had given up for her as she cried into his chest as he lay dying. This time Lelouch promised himself that he would not allow his precious sister to be used against him and knew that he would have to talk with Sayoko earlier than he last time to make sure that she remained safe.

"Big brother?" The blind Lamperouge inquired, snapping Lelouch out of his daze. He felt her small hand grip his own as a look of concern crossed her innocent face. "Is something wrong? You've hardly said anything at all."

Lelouch squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry about that but I've got a lot of things on my mind right now, Nunnally." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her dainty fingers earning a giggle from disabled girl. "I didn't mean to ignore you like that."

"It's alright." Nunnally assured him, smiling at her elder brother with the same innocent expression she always wore. "Because big brother has a lot to worry about with being on the council and all."

"I'd drop it all in a second to be with you." Lelouch assured her, earning another giggle from the girl as he held her knuckles against his cheek, smiling softly all the while as he recalled how hard it had been in the past, what with his duties as Zero. "So, tell me what did you do today while I was away?"

Nunnally smiled. "Miss Sayoko was teaching me the art of Origami, which is when you fold a piece of paper the right way and you can make boats, birds, or almost anything else you can think of." Nunnally said with an excited tone.

Lelouch chuckled as he took another cleanly slice steak and fed it to her. "That's very interesting, Nunnally. Maybe you can show me what you've learned one day when you have the time." Lelouch said in a gentle tone. "It's not like I'll be going anywhere any time soon." Lelouch said, and this time he would not let his sister out of his sight.

"Yes, I would be delighted." Nunnally said with a soft tone. "You've been so busy lately that we haven't spent as much time together as before."

"I can always make time for you if you need me to. I promised you that I would remain by your side as long as you needed me, remember." Lelouch replied with a small smile.

Nunnally giggled a bit at hearing the gentle voice of her beloved brother. "I'm so happy big brother for everything you do for me. I must admit that I was scared quite a bit when you hadn't returned home last night and I tried to wait for you." Nunnally said with a slight tremble to her voice. "When you told me you were caught up in the terrorist attack I was afraid you had been hurt but you assured me otherwise.

"I'm sorry to have worried you so much, little sister." Lelouch apologized, knowing that if she knew the truth of what he did she would really be scared. He gently caressed her cheek to calm her like always did.

Nunnally seemed to perk up a bit. "Hey, they say that if you fold a thousand of these cranes your wish will come true." Nunnally said as she showed her brother a pink, paper crane that he had failed to notice in her lap earlier.

Lelouch's face instantly turned solemn as he gently cupped her cheek. "Nunnally, if you had one wish that you truly desired what would it be?" Lelouch asked, even if he already knew the answer.

"I wish the world was a gentler place. A world where I can live happily together with you and all of our friends." Nunnally replied in a soft tone and gasped when she suddenly found herself being embraced by her brother.

"Nunnally, I promise you that I will make your wish a reality one day." Lelouch whispered, softly as he steeled his resolve. "But in order for me to do that, I may need to become a devil and do things that would be considered acts of evil. Would you hate me if I become the devil just to create that world?" Lelouch asked with his voice laced with sadness. He hated to have to worry her like this but he had to prepare her in a way for what he was going to do.

Nunnally instantly hugged her brother back as she sensed the turmoil that plagued her precious brother. "Brother, what are you trying to say?" Nunnally asked in a confused and frightened tone.

"I need to know your answer, Nunnally." Lelouch told her in a gentle tone once again.

"I could never hate you, brother." Nunnally answered as she tightened her embrace. "But I don't want you to stop being my gentle, loving brother for my sake." Nunnally said as she began to worry why he was talking in such a manner.

"I know but I want you to once again open your eyes to the beauty of this world and I will find a way to make that happen." Lelouch replied as he broke the embrace.

Nunnally was very confused at the moment even though she had an idea why he was saying such things. She knew how much he despised their father for casting them aside and forcing them to live in Japan all those years ago. She reached out to grip his hand once again as she recalled something else she learned.

"Big brother…" The smaller girl began while moving their hands so that they were holding pinkies with one another. "Sayoko also taught me this the other day and it's a pinkie swear! If you break it, you have to eat a thousand needles!"

"That sounds like a rather painful experience." Lelouch replied.

"Promise me that you won't stop being my loving brother." Nunnally said.

Lelouch smiled. "I promise you, Nunnally." He gripped her hands in both of his. _'I also promise you that I will do everything in power to make father pay for what he's done to you even if it means that the world will see me as a demon. I won't let anyone take you away from me ever again.'_

Nunnally smiled in response but couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on with her brother and that he was involved in something that could get him hurt or even worse killed. The blind Lamperouge knew that if she were to lose her brother then, she would have no reason to continue on since he gave her the strength to carry on despite everything that happened to them after their mother's death.

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><p>After his conversation with Nunnally, Lelouch returned to his room to find C.C. lying in his bed with only her normal sleeping attire. The immortal witch looked up at him and gives a smile as she sat up in bed to greet him.<p>

"You're home rather late. Did something else happen?" C.C. inquired.

Lelouch shook his head. "No, I was tucking Nunnally into bed and remained by her side until she was asleep. I had a little talk with her and I think I may have worried her a bit."

C.C. arched an eyebrow. "Oh and what did you talk with her about?"

"I merely promised her that I would make her greatest wish a reality even if it meant that I would be seen as evil by others." Lelouch replied.

"Are you sure that was a good idea? Once you take up the mantle of Zero and start going missing from time to time she may figure out that it is you. She is a rather intelligent girl after all just like her brother." C.C. pointed out.

Lelouch removed his shirt and sat down at his desk. "I know that may be so but I found it to be necessary. If she does figure out that I'm Zero then, I will have a talk with her to explain my reasons. She may not accept it at first but I'm sure that I can convince her that what I'm doing is the right thing. Despite her claim to hate me she did come to understand me the last time and I know she will again."

"If it's a risk you're willing to take." C.C. said in a dismissive tone.

Lelouch scowled. "You could be a bit more supportive of my decisions. I don't want Suzaku or the others to use Nunnally against me ever again so she will eventually need to know my reasons. I plan to explain to her what father and mother have planned when the time is right."

C.C. nodded. "So, what do you plan to do about your future Knights for Justice?"

"I will contact the same way I did the last time and make my debut during Suzaku's trial. It won't be too convince them to join my cause but I will need you to step in to take my place as Zero from time to time since I will have to be myself as well. By appearing to be in both places at once it will allow me to do even more to gain their trust and will make it that much more difficult for anyone to place me as Zero." Lelouch replied.

"You seem to have everything well thought out but what will you do when it's time to personally reveal me to them?" C.C. inquired with tilt of her head.

"I don't plan on making you an official member until after I've gotten a hold of the Lancelot's and made contact with Rakshata. Once she has joined my cause and did her work I will have you make your debut as one of my pilots of my Zero squad alongside Kallen. I already know that I can get Sayoko to fill in for me since she is extremely loyal to me and Nunnally no matter what.'

C.C. got up from the bed and made her way to Lelouch before reaching down to grip his hands before pulling him up to stand before her. "I know you want to make sure your plan goes off without a hitch but I believe I deserve a reward for all of my hard work."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Oh and what sort of reward do you desire? I know it isn't pizza since you still have my credit card and there are pizza boxes lying around already."

C.C. leaned up to capture his lips with hers and held the kiss for a few moments before breaking away. The black prince watched as she proceeded to remove her clothing and reveal her naked form to him before sitting on the bed with an inviting pose.

"I believe you can already guess what I want." C.C. replied in a seductive tone as she trailed her hand across her breasts.

Lelouch shook his head. "You are such a seductive temptress."

(Lemon)

C.C. merely giggled and held her arms out to him as he stripped off the rest of his clothing and joined in bed as she wrapped her arms around her lover's frame. Like before they started out with a heated make-out session as Lelouch trailed his hands over her supple form. The golden-eyed beauty began to grind her hips against his lower region and was rewarded with the feel of his erection stiffening and pressing against her wet entrance. Lelouch groaned at the sensation and cupped her breasts before breaking the kiss as C.C. untangled her arms from around his neck. She gasped with pleasure as he suddenly moved down to her left breast and began to tease her nipple with expert care much like he did in their last lifetime.

"Aaaaah!" C.C. exclaimed as she ran her fingers through his hair. "That's right, tease me more."

Her violet-eyed lover was happy to comply as he continued to lavish her perky mounds with attention while switching back and forth between the two. He had wanted to claim her once again ever since he first awakened but knew better than to force himself onto the willful white witch. C.C. was thoroughly enjoying the sensations that were coursing through her body at the moment. It had been so long since she had been allowed to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh in this lifetime but with Lelouch she could allow herself to do so once again. The warmth in her lower regions was growing more intense as Lelouch continued to tease her breasts with his skillful tongue and hands as she realized he had gained the experience from their time together in their previous lifetime. If he kept up this pace she would reach an orgasm just from having him play with her breasts but she wanted more.

"L-Lelouch, I need you to go down on me." C.C. pleaded between gasps.

Lelouch broke away from her breasts. "Oh, so you're demanding even more of my attention?"

C.C. looked at him with a small glare. "Don't start getting cheeky on me. You know quite well that I've haven't had sex with anyone in a very long time."

Lelouch chuckled as he once again returned his attention to both of her breasts for a brief moment before he began to slowly trail kisses down her abdomen. C.C. began to writhe with pleasure as she eagerly waited for the moment his lips would make contact with her moist entrance. Upon reaching his intended destination, Lelouch placed both of her slender legs over his shoulders and gazed down at her moist hidden treasure that lay beneath the small tuft of green hair. C.C. shivered when Lelouch suddenly began to blow against her petal-like lower lips and began to thrust her hips upwards to bring his own lips into contact with hers but Lelouch quickly restrained her hips with his hands. She whimpered with pleasure and looked down at him with a half-lidded gaze in frustration.

"Don't tease me like that." C.C. said in a frustrated whine.

Lelouch smiled. "Why shouldn't I tease you like this? It isn't often that I'm allowed to have some sort of power over you and you know how much I enjoy being in control."

"You also know that I will get you back, right?" C.C. replied.

Lelouch merely shrugged. "I can live with that."

C.C. made to retort but could only gasp and arch her back with pleasure as Lelouch suddenly darted his face forward and sealed his lips over lower lips. A series of soft moans and pants escaped her parted lips as he gently lapped at the sweat nectar that flowed from her delicate petals as he savored the taste. C.C. was clutching at the sheets as the feeling of euphoria and fulfillment flowed outward from her womanhood to every portion of her body. She wrapped her legs around his head and tightened them in an attempt to bring him further into her core to provide her with even more pleasure. This continued on for a few more moments as Lelouch was enjoying the sounds of pleasure his white witch were making but he needed his own release as well and couldn't wait much longer.

C.C opened her eyes in surprise when Lelouch stopped lapping at her womanhood and forced her legs to part and looked down at frustration but it became understanding when he began to crawl up her body to position himself above her. She trailed her hands along his chest until they were resting against his abdomen when he positioned his tool at the entrance of her womanhood and felt her breath hitch in anticipation.

"Take me and make me yours in body and soul once again, my emperor." C.C. said, breathlessly.

Lelouch didn't reply but slowly began to spear himself into her and groaned at the warmth that began to envelop his cock as he sank into her moist depths. C.C. gasped and moaned as she slowly pushed forward and shuddered when his pubic hair brushed against her clit to signify their connection. The black prince took a moment to get used to the sensation of being entrapped by such tight and warm folds before slowly pumping his way in out of her with long strokes. He felt C.C. wrap her legs around his waist to keep him in place as she writhed with pleasure beneath.

"So good. This feels so amazing." C.C. gasped out.

"I agree." Lelouch grunted out while maintaining his steady pace.

The immortal witch reached up to grip his face and pulled him down into a heated kiss causing Lelouch to press his body against hers as her breast and their erect nipples bored into his chest. The two continued their passionate lovemaking for quite some time as Lelouch slowly began to pick up his pace as he felt the pressure in his lower regions increase the longer he remained enveloped by her warmth. At that very moment, there were no thoughts of his revolution or his desire to create a new world to live in alongside Nunnally. His only desire was to consummate his love for the immortal witch that gave him the power to make his dreams a reality and also taken a place in his once closed heart.

"Cecilia, I don't think I can hold out any longer." Lelouch said between pants.

"Don't worry about getting me pregnant. You can release it at any time you feel like." C.C. replied in a breathless whisper.

Lelouch groaned as he pumped a few more times before his entire body stiffened. "I'm cumming."

"I'm cumming too." C.C. cried out as she locked her arms and legs around her lover's frame and rode the orgasmic wave that crashed over her body.

The two basked in the orgasmic aftermath of their release for a few minutes before Lelouch completely collapsed atop C.C. while breathing, heavily. The two rested against each other for quite some time as they slowly began to regain their lost strength as the last tremors of pleasure ran through them. Finally, Lelouch rolled off to the side and gazed at the sweating form the green-haired beauty he had just made love to. C.C. turned over on her side to face him as she gazed at him with a love-filled expression that conveyed her feelings to her contractor. No more words were spoken as the two engaged in a brief kiss before Lelouch drew the covers over them and enveloped C.C. in his embrace as she snuggled into his side with her head resting on his chest as they let sleep claim them.

(Lemon End)

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><p>Well, that's chapter two of my Code Geass fic, Fate's Second Chance. So far, Lelouch has made contact with Kallen as himself while stating that he is a contact of Zero but how will this take effect with his plans. Also, I've made Lelouch a bit more of a flirt with his interactions with C.C., Kallen, Shirley, and even Milly because I feel that after all of his sacrifices the guy does need a bit of love as compensation. Some may think that giving him a harem is a bit much but he is Britannian royalty and if you look at his father the emperor it is a common practice to have more than one wife or mistress to give him heirs or heiresses. I included a small lemon at the end and would like your feedback on how good it was since this would be my first attempt writing one in any of my stories.<p>

In the next chapter, Lelouch will make his debut at the trial of Suzaku but it will go a bit differently that last time since I'm going to do like Fujin of Shadows and arm the future Black Knights with Gloucesters but I will add my own spin on that. I don't plan on having Suzaku joining Lelouch and despite the fact Lelouch still sees him as friend that won't stop him from putting him down whenever they meet. I guess this is because despite the fact I like Suzaku's skills as a Knightmare pilot I hated the fact that he was willing to betray Lelouch just for the chance to atone for the sins that he committed. As usual read and review my work and contribute any ideas that you wish to see as a part of this fic for me to take into consideration.

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	3. The Budding Alliance

Fate's Second Chance

Chapter 3: The Budding Alliance

By: Terror of the Azure Flame

Disclaimer:

I don't own Code Geass but I do own any Oc's that may appear in this story unless otherwise noted.

Author corner:

I apologize for this rather long rant that I'm about to make but I felt that I needed to get this off my chest. At the end of chapter 2 I made a comment about that fact that I didn't like Suzaku and as I expected a reviewer labeled me as a hypocrite. The reviewer stated that the reason he called me one was because I didn't like to see Suzaku hurt Lelouch but I was fine with Lelouch hurting Suzaku. I wasn't particularly clear in explaining what I meant because I wanted to let my story explain itself but I will explain why I said so. My plan was to not have Zero ask Suzaku join his side but to instead put him into a number of situations to put his resolve to the test. I plan to force Suzaku to the point that he is will willingly join with the Black Knights in order to purge Britannia of the corruption that plagues it and not just bash him because of my dislike of him. Suzaku will have his moments to shine as well since I still do need him to become the Knight of Euphemia but I probably won't have him become the Knight of Seven though I am still undecided as of yet.

Despite the fact I haven't decided to outright bash Suzaku I still can't stand the guy. His entire reasoning for doing what he does throughout the series makes him a hypocrite in my honest opinion and I will explain why. You have a guy that murdered his own father since he wanted his countrymen to fight until the bitter end even if it meant the complete eradication of Japan in the process. I will admit that I respect Suzaku for that since he did save his own people because of that but that was the few good things that I felt he did. He constantly preaches his belief that results gained through wrong means are meaningless and he was the one that achieved peace through oppression with the subjugation of his people at the cost of his father's life. I understand that he feels guilt over what he did but if he really wanted to die so badly then, he could've easily taken his own life but he chose to find some form of atonement by living on following his belief. He betrayed Lelouch in order to gain his title as a knight and when Lelouch became Zero again used a blind, crippled girl that wanted nothing more than to see her brother as a means to draw him out and that really pissed me off. He even had the gall to claim that Lelouch's entire existence was a mistake and that he would take care of Nunnally even though he was constantly manipulating her to serve his own goals.

Even his desire to become the Knight of One so that he can gain Japan as his own was stupid since along the way he helped to subjugate other countries that were trying to retain their freedom while claiming he was doing it to end the fighting. Charles sick ambition's to kill god was the cause of all of the fighting in the first place and yet he sided with him time after time while looking down on Lelouch's desire for revenge and the Black Knight's desire for freedom. Even if he was grieving over the death of Euphemia he sought revenge against Lelouch just as Lelouch was seeking revenge for the death of his mother and what happened to him and Nunnally. It was indicated that Suzaku knew the reason why Lelouch hated his father and yet he still turns on him. This is why I hate Suzaku's character because he's a complete hypocrite through most of the series even if he redeemed himself in the end. Lelouch isn't that much better but I respect him more since he was doing all of the things in his own way to create a peaceful world for Nunnally and everyone else would've been included in that dream not just one country. Lelouch is a rather selfish person as well and a bit of hypocrite as well but he also goes out of his way to protect those close to him even if it means making them his enemy in the process and that is why I like his character more. I merely respect Suzaku's skills as a Knightmare pilot and I will not bash him to much but slowly rewrite his character the way that I see fit since this is a fanfiction which gives me that right. If anyone doesn't agree with me on what I'm doing then, I won't try to change your mind on the matter.

Many are well aware that Suzaku remained with the Britannian empire because he had the belief that by bowing his head and trying cooperate with Britannia that he could change how the Japanese were viewed by their conquerors. However, I decided to look at in a much broader sense that despite the noble reasons of Suzaku that he failed to look at the bigger picture. I mean with all of the areas that were conquered by the empire I'm sure that he wasn't the only one to choose that path once the Honorary Britannian system was introduced by Clovis and not much had changed. From what I was able to gather from the anime that much of the royal family and other nobles still tended to look down on the people of the areas they conquered but that may be just my own opinion. In my story I will have the Britannians look down on the numbers with the mindset that they are primitive, mindless bunch of people that prefer to cling onto a bygone golden age and refuse to embrace the wonders their culture that they have chosen to grace them with. As you may know most depictions of nobles are people that often have a very obscure view of the world around them and tend to be out of touch with reality and I plan to exploit that in this fic. I hope I made myself clear in my intentions and if any reader ever has a question to a plot point of my story then, don't be afraid to pm me or ask me in a review and will try to explain.

Also to StarDrago there is a special little scene just for you that I hope you like.

* * *

><p>Lelouch found himself up earlier than usual going over another detail of his revised plan while C.C. was still currently sleeping off the aftermath of their previous night of lovemaking. He was currently sitting as his personal computer while putting the designs of the Knightmare frame designs that he had gotten from Lloyd while he was certain that he could still remember their details onto his hard drive which was protected by all sort of safety programs to prevent someone from hacking in. He was also drafting out technical data and schematics for his own eighth generation frames that he planned to have Rakshata develop for Todoh and the Four Holy Swords. Together with Kallen, the five former members of the JLF were his best Knightmare pilots on the frontlines and he wanted them to have customized Knightmare frames that would suit them based on what he knew from their fighting styles. He just had to make sure that they all survived this time around since only Todoh and Chiba had remained at the end of Zero's requiem and though they had betrayed him he still had a use for them for now.<p>

His plans were coming together quite nicely so far and he could not help but wish things had been this easy the first time around. So far he had already contacted the rebels through Kallen by appearing before her as himself with the claim that he was representing Zero and was waiting for the reply that he already knew he was going to receive in response to his offer to have them join his cause. It knew that it wouldn't be that hard to get them to join him much like last time once he pulled of his little miracle but he had given them even more incentive this time around that it was a good idea to fall in with him. He had already help them achieve a great victory over Britannia at Shinjuku and had also given them brand new Sutherland Knightmares that couldn't be traced since he had erased their IFF signatures. Plus, he already had access to a number of Gloucesters that he would also provide them access to once they joined up with him after he rescued Suzaku.

The thought of his friend caused him to recall the events of the previous night when he had watched the broadcast of Suzaku being accused of assassinating his brother, Clovis along with Nunnally and Sayoko. Just like last time, his younger sister had been devastated to hear of the death of her elder brother even if they hadn't been in contact in seven years and he had to comfort her but she was even more horrified to hear that Suzaku was blamed for the murder.

_**Flashback**_

_Lelouch was currently tucking Nunnally into bed when she spoke. "Brother, do you believe it's true what they said on the news about Suzaku?" Nunnally asked in a small voice._

_Lelouch sighed. "I'm not entirely sure, Nunnally. First, we find out that he's still alive only to learn that he's been charged with the crime of assassinating our brother, Clovis. The newscaster clearly stated that he is an honorary Britannian and I find it hard to believe that he would go through all of the trouble of joining the military just to get the chance to assassinate the Viceroy. Suzaku was always firmly against the idea of siding with terrorists and believed that if the elevens could prove themselves to the Britannians that they would eventually be accepted by their society."_

"_Yes, I remember you and Suzaku were arguing about that right before he decided to leave saying that he was going to join the army. You told Suzaku that he was too honorable for his own good and that his idealistic thinking might get him killed one day." Nunnally said._

"_Yes, that's why I know for a fact that they are mistaken and I think he's just being used as a scapegoat by some of the higher-ups like the Purist Faction. I've heard that with Clovis gone that they're now running the affairs of area eleven until a new viceroy arrives and they have always been opposed to the honorary Britannian system that Clovis started. It's most likely some sort of ploy to discredit the system by saying that this is how the elevens chose to repay our brother for the kindness he had chosen to grace them with." Lelouch replied, resisting the urge to gag at the words that left his mouth._

_Nunnally trembled. "I just wished that it didn't have to be Suzaku that had to be used like that."_

_Lelouch held his sister's hand in his. "Yes, I know but there isn't anything that we can do about it. Since we're in hiding from the empire we have no means of influence that could be used to clear Suzaku of his charges. We just have to accept the fact that Suzaku will become another casualty of the corruption that has come to plague the empire under the emperor's reign."_

_An uncharacteristic frown graced Nunnally's features. "If we hadn't been abandoned by the others then, maybe none of this would've happened. If mother was still alive then, I'm sure things the world would've been a better place for everyone to live in."_

_Lelouch resisted the urge to tell his sister otherwise since he knew what their mother was truly capable of but he had to refrain for now. Eventually, he would have to change her perspective of the world around her but for now he would allow her to retain her innocence._

"_That may be so but I don't want you to continue to worry about such matters. I don't know why but I just have this feeling that everything will turn out fine and that Suzaku will live through all of this." Lelouch assured._

_Nunnally smiled in a grateful manner. "Whenever you say things like that they normally turn out to be true. I just hope your amazing good luck helps Suzaku out as well, brother."_

_Lelouch smiled before kissing her forehead. "I hope so as well. Now get some rest, Nunnally."_

"_Brother, could you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Nunnally asked, pleadingly._

"_Of course, sister." Lelouch replied as he lay down beside her and held her in a gentle embrace._

"_Good night, big brother." Nunnally said with a cute yawn._

"_Good night, Nunnally." Lelouch said as he would remain by her side until she fell asleep._

_**Flashback End**_

He knew that he couldn't allow Suzaku to die because he had plans that still required him to remain with Britannia. He still needed him to become Euphemia's knight so that he could protect her from the aftermath of what he had planned for the Special Administrative Zone. Besides, his sister would eventually fall in love with him and he had no desire to take away his happiness a second time around. Even though he was still sore over the fact that Suzaku had used him as a means to get in favor with the emperor he was still willing to forgive him since he would've done the same if he was in his shoes. Besides, after he was through with Suzaku his faith in the Britannian empire would be completely shattered and maybe then, he could convince him to join his side. It would be a major blow to the empire to lose the one that would've eventually become their prized Knight of Seven but he would not allow the emperor to use any of his friends against him. As long as Suzaku were to remain loyal to the empire then, there was always a chance that such an event could happen if his identity as Zero was ever found out.

'_No, I would rather have Suzaku at my side than to allow him to be manipulated by the Emperor or Schneizel to help them achieve their goals. However, I must play things correctly so that all of the pieces fall into place." _Lelouch thought.

Lelouch was pulled from his thoughts by a feminine groan and turned his head to notice C.C. rousing from her sleep. A small smile graced his features as he watched the white witch take a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes before stretching in a catlike manner despite the fact she was still nude. The golden-eyed girl quickly focused her gaze onto Lelouch and tilted her head a bit as she regarded him.

"Don't you ever stop planning?" C.C. asked in her normal bored tone.

"I was merely working on the plans for a couple of Eight Generation frames for Todoh and the Four Holy Swords." Lelouch replied as he turned his chair to face her after turning off the computer.

"You seem to be quite forgiving of them and a bit too merciful if I must say so. If I'm not mistaken both Asahina and Chiba were quite distrusting of you with you supposedly abandoning the Black Knights after the Black Rebellion and what took place at the Geass Directorate." C.C. said.

"Yes, that maybe true but what more could I have expected from former members of the JLF. They were still my best Knightmare pilots and amongst the top members of the Black Knights. I merely need their cooperation and skills in order to help my plans along and I already know the means to solve their feelings of mistrust of my methods." Lelouch then, gave an evil grin. "However, if things do not work out correctly this time and I am still betrayed by the Black Knights then, I will teach them much like I did the last time why I came to be known as the Demon Emperor."

C.C. smiled and made her way over to sit in his lap. "So, what else do you have planned to do, today?"

"You're trying to tempt me, aren't you?" Lelouch asked with a raised eyebrow.

C.C. gave him a coy smirk. "Perhaps I am."

Lelouch shook his head. "Temptress!" C.C. giggled and gave him a brief kiss. "I plan to get Kallen onto the student council again since I require her to be in close contact with me from now on. I also want to get my Zero costume made and take a look at those Gloucesters that you acquired for me. I have to move them another location where I can be sure they won't be discovered and I have the perfect place in mind. We have a few more days until Jeremiah and the Purist Faction will be set to go with their public display of Suzaku's trial and I would like to at least make a few modifications to one or two of the Gloucesters during that time. I'm going to need you to pilot one of them and act as sniper to keep the rest of Purist Faction from interfering since I'm sure you're capable of handling it and keeping me alive."

"It won't be too difficult to take out a few unsuspecting Sutherlands when they don't expect me. I am your accomplice and I'm willing to help as long as I am properly rewarded. I also went about working on the Geass countering lenses that you asked for and I already have enough to make your mask out of." C.C. said.

"Good I'm going to need it for later when I go have my costume mad." Lelouch trailed his hands up her sides causing her to shiver. "As much as I would like to continue from last night I have classes to attend to. I've already informed Sayoko of your presence here and as usual she accepts you here and you can reveal yourself to Nunnally if you wish but no funny business. I don't need you filling my sister's head with any of your silly ideas on our relationship."

"Well, if I were to say that we have a future together then, it will be true this time around since we are lovers." C.C. replied with a smile.

"That may be so but you tend to twist the meaning of your words a lot and leave with a headache later on." Lelouch replied in exasperation.

C.C. pouted. "You're no fun."

Lelouch chuckled and gave her another chaste kiss before gently pushing her off his lap. C.C. quietly complied and made her way back to sit on the bed as she watched Lelouch get dressed for the day. After another brief kiss between the two, the violet-eyed youth left to join Nunnally for breakfast while leaving her his credit card and warning her to stay out of trouble even if he doubted she would comply. Breakfast was quieter than normal for the two Lamperouge siblings and Lelouch could easily tell his sister was still worried over the predicament of Suzaku. Sayoko was standing nearby as she gazed at her young mistress with concern since she had sensed the depressed mood of the younger girl.

Lelouch reached forward to grasp Nunnally's hand. "Nunnally, I know that you're still worried about Suzaku and I can't blame you. Suzaku is still my friend even if I haven't seen him in a long time and it angers me that he's in this sort of situation. I still have this feeling that everything will turn out fine and Suzaku will be allowed to go free."

Nunnally gripped his hand back. "Brother, I know that you're trying to cheer me up but I can't help but worry for Suzaku's sake. He's almost as important to me as you are and in a way I keep seeing you in his place and that also scares me."

Lelouch smiled, sadly at his sister. "Nunnally, I know how you feel about Suzaku since he used to dote on you as much as me but I need you to be understanding of the situation that he's in. Suzaku is Japanese and people like the Purist Faction are using whatever means they can to gain control over Area 11 since they are against the idea of any of the numbers be allowed to be treated fairly with special rights. Clovis did manage to do a few go things when he instated those special laws with the rest of the other areas adopting the same honorary system but now all of that is about to be put into jeopardy."

"Is it because of how corrupt Britannia has become under father's rule?" Nunnally asked while already knowing the answer. She and Lelouch had similar conversations in the past and she was well aware of how corrupt Britannia is now. Besides, it didn't take a genius to figure that out with how Britannia was trying to conquer the world while expanding the influence of their own culture.

"Yes, that's why people like Suzaku always end up suffering at the hands of those in power. Even we are not immune since if the emperor learns of us being alive then, he will either have us killed or brought back to Pendragon where we'll become his puppets. Don't forget that mother was a commoner before she became his consort and that's why they others always looked down upon us. The current world just happens to be like this where the weak suffer at the hands of the strong and there is very little that people like us can do about it. We just have to accept things as they are and hope that things will eventually become better." Lelouch replied. _'And I can promise you that I will make things better if only for your sake.'_ He added as an afterthought.

Nunnally reached up to his face with her free hand. "I can tell that you're angry about what Suzaku is going through but I thank you for being there for me."

Lelouch gripped her hand against his cheek and brought both hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I will always be at your side to help you through the rough times just like I always have."

Nunnally smiled. "I love you, Lelouch."

"I love you as well, Nunnally." Lelouch replied.

The rest of their time together was still rather tense but Lelouch couldn't tell Nunnally that he already had plans to rescue Suzaku by beginning his revolution against Britannia by donning the mask of Zero. He knew she may become understanding of Zero was trying to accomplish but she was still an unknown variable since even Schneizel had been able to corrupt his sister and turn her against him before so he had to play things carefully. If he did then, he could eventually pull her completely to his side and have her become his second 'Goddess of Victory' much like Kaguya had been for him before. He hated that he wanted to bring her into the midst of his future battles but he would do anything to keep her safe at his side.

Informing Nunnally that he was going to head off to class as she kissed his cheek while wishing him a good day like she always did. The elder Lamperouge made his way through the hallways that led him out of their secluded section of the student council building. He wasn't even aware that Sayoko had been following him until she suddenly spoke.

"Master Lelouch, may I speak with you for a moment?" Sayoko said.

Lelouch stopped and turned to face her. "Yes, what is it that you need?"

"I'm afraid that I must express a bit of concern for you, young master. Last night as I was making my rounds I passed your room and happened to overhear your conversation with the young miss that is in your room at the moment." Sayoko replied.

Lelouch's eyes widened in surprise at hearing this. He realized that he had become a bit careless this time around since the last time he normally ended up speaking with C.C. about his plans whenever Nunnally was out or preoccupied in her room with Sayoko normally at his sister's side. However, he knew that he might not have anything to worry about since Sayoko had proved that she was still loyal to him even after learning that he was Zero the last time around.

"Exactly how much did you hear, Sayoko?" Lelouch asked with narrowed eyes.

"Enough to learn that you plan to join with a terrorist group to fight against Britannia." Sayoko bowed her head, slightly. "Forgive me for my intrusion and I will accept any punishment that you deem necessary. However, I swore to protect you and Mistress Nunnally and I only wish to express my concern for your well-being."

Lelouch snorted in amusement. "As if I were truly able to deliver in sort of punishment to you before you turned around and made my face familiar with the wall." Sayoko blinked at this then, smiled in understanding. "No, I won't punish you but I have a feeling you have another reason why you're speaking to me about this."

Sayoko nodded. "As I just said a moment ago, I made an oath to serve both you and your sister in any way possible. You have always treated me well and I am offering my services to you if you should ever require them."

"I had a feeling that was what you were going to say. For now all I ask is that you keep Nunnally safe and don't tell her about any of this." Lelouch said and sighed. "I will soon be making an enemy out of the Britannian Empire by working with the terrorists. However, I am putting myself at great risks because I am a Britannian that will be providing them assistance and many won't take too kindly to that if they were to find out. I don't want Nunnally to be targeted by anyone that becomes my enemy if my identity is discovered so I place my trust in you to keep her safe by any means you see fit." Lelouch finished with a serious expression.

"I understand, Master Lelouch." Sayoko replied.

"I may have other tasks for you in the future but for now this is all I need you to do for me." Lelouch said with the ninja maid nodding in understanding. "Thank you, Sayoko."

Sayoko smiled. "I am always happy to serve you and Mistress Nunnally."

Lelouch nodded. "Well, if there is nothing else I'll be going."

Sayoko nodded and wished him well before returning back to Nunnally's side to carry out her duties. She was well aware of his standing as the exiled 11th prince and 17th in line to the throne since she had actually been serving the Ashford family before they fell from grace. She had respected Lady Marianne and was honored to have been asked to watch over her children after the invasion of Japan following the Sakuradite conflict. If her young master was planning to fight against his father for the honor of Lady Marianne then, she would help in any way she could by protecting them both.

* * *

><p>Later on that day during class, Kallen Kouzuki once again found herself frustrated at having to play her role as Kallen Stadtfeld and she was also frustrated because of the fact. This time her frustration wasn't due to the fact that she had to attend Ashford academy to keep up her front. No, her frustration was due to the giggling girls that she had happened to call her friends as they continued to hound her about her involvement with the academy heartthrob, Lelouch Lamperouge. Every time she saw him throughout the day he would casually greet her with that charming smile that had all of the girls around them swooning before they would glare at her for having his attention. She briefly wondered what they would think of him if they learned that he was willing to provide aid to a terrorist group planning to take on the empire.<p>

Her thoughts were once again drawn to Lelouch and the little bit she had learned of him in their conversation yesterday. She had noticed him before but he had always seemed like a typical Britannian with his regal good looks and calm, aloof personality. He was also rather sociable and easy going with the ability to charm many of the girls and even some of the older women at the academy. However, she realized there was another side to Lelouch when he had spoken with such passion about his hatred for Britannia and everything it stood for. She found that he was similar to her in a way since her reasons for fighting were because Britannia had taken the freedom of the Japanese people and then, later own the life of her brother which caused her to seek revenge. He had also lost someone or something of importance to him at the hands of Britannia and wanted revenge against them as well.

'_Plus, he already has some sort of connection to Zero and they both seem to want to help the resistance fight against Britannia. The only problem is we don't know if they're trustworthy or what they are really capable of. The fact that between the two of them we have all of those Sutherlands and we managed to win against impossible odds back in Shinjuku already tells a lot about them.' _Kallen frowned. _'I still don't understand why they would choose our little group instead of a group like the JLF to provide backing to. I just might have to ask Lelouch next chance I get.'_

It wasn't much longer until time came around for lunch with Kallen casually talking to her 'friends' while resisting the urge to groan at the topic they had chosen. Were they to dimwitted to get it through their thick skulls that nothing was going on between her and Lelouch? However, it seemed as if fate or some other higher power was conspiring against her when a sudden shadow fell across her as the surrounding girls lapsed into silence.

"Miss Stadtfeld." Kallen looked up to see Lelouch standing beside her desk with his charming smile that caused her cheeks to heat up a bit. "Would you care to join me for lunch today? I have a few things that I wish to discuss with you if you don't mind."

"N-No not all." Kallen replied with a slight stutter.

Lelouch turned to a stunned Shirley. "Shirley, if you don't mind can you gather Milly and the rest of the student council in the meeting room? Tell her it's about that little request that I asked her about earlier."

Shirley gave him a confused look before understanding dawned on her features. "Sure that's not a problem, Lulu. I'm sure that Madam President managed to work everything with no problems."

Lelouch smiled at the orangette causing her to blush at being under the strong, alluring gaze of her crush and quickly left the room to gather the others. Lelouch turned back to Kallen and her friends with a brief apology to them for taking Kallen away from them. The two future partners casually made their way through the halls of the school in silence though Kallen was aware of the fact that she was being led to the roof. Once they arrived and having made sure that no one else was around Lelouch turned to face Kallen with his smile still in place.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked you to join me here?" Lelouch said.

"Yeah and I'm glad you did since I have a few things to ask you." Kallen said.

"By all means, ask away and I will answer to the best of my abilities." Lelouch replied with a dramatic bow.

Kallen rolled her eyes at the display. "I want to know the real reason why you and Zero decided to help our little group and not the JLF instead?"

"It is because we are completing the contract that was made with Naoto Kouzuki." Lelouch replied, simply.

Kallen's eyes widened in shock before narrowing with suspicion. "How do you know my brother's name?"

"Are you always so quick to make threats against people?" Lelouch asked, amused. "The reason I know of you brother was because he had contacted Zero for assistance before his untimely death. We were asked to provide the means to make your group into a stronger force by your brother but before we could give him a reply we learned of his death and since he was the only member of your group we ever had contact with we had to wait to you guys surfaced on your own."

Lelouch was obviously lying about knowing her brother but he needed to do this but couldn't help but feel guilty for manipulating Kallen in such a way.

"My brother never mentioned anything about you so how do I know that you aren't lying?" Kallen demanded.

Lelouch shrugged. "It's not surprising since we told him not to let anyone know of the arrangements he was making until we decided to help or not. After all, I am a Britannian citizen and if word got out that I was helping terrorists then, you could guess what would happen. Through my own means I learned of your groups little plan to infiltrate Clovis's little research lab and once you were caught up in Shinjuku you already know the rest."

Kallen calmed down at his reasoning. "I still don't know what else two of you can help us with."

"Both Zero and I are very capable tacticians and we have various connections throughout the Tokyo settlement that a group like yours require to become an effective fighting force. The Sutherlands that we provided you was only the tip of the iceberg since I also have access to the more advanced Gloucesters which are Fifth-Generation Knightmares that are designed for close combat. They are more advanced than the Sutherlands with superior mobility and heavier armor since they were meant for Anti-Knightmare combat. I have access to a substantial amount of funds through my dealings with the nobles of this area so you will gain quite a bit of financial backing as well allowing us to expand our ranks with more members." Lelouch said.

Kallen could only gape at him. "I really don't know what to make of you, Lelouch. If you had approached me with this before Shinjuku I most likely would've killed you for pointing me out as a terrorist. If you have access to all of this then, I'm sure Ohgi and the others will be more than happy to join up with you and Zero since we barely have enough supplies and weapons to support our group. Heck, the Glasgow was the only Knightmare we had until you gave us those Sutherlands and it was only pure luck that I managed to last as long as I did."

"Quite the contrary, Kallen. You proved yourself to be quite the pilot by using an outdated Third-Generation Knightmare to hold your own against a superior force with better Knightmares and numbers on their side. If your group had more pilots like you and were better equipped then, it would've been a lot easier for the resistance to obtain victory even before our help." Lelouch said causing her to blush at his praise.

Very few had ever had actually praised her for her piloting skills despite the obvious facts that she was their best. Only Naoto and Ohgi had constantly encouraged her to improve on her skills. To hear Lelouch suddenly praise her caused the redheaded terrorist to become quite flustered causing her to avert her gaze from his which caused Lelouch to smile. He had always found the sight of a blushing Kallen to be a beautiful and entrancing sight and was sad that he hadn't paid much attention to her the last time around.

"Zero and I wish to join forces with you since together we have something that the JLF lack." Lelouch said.

Kallen looked back at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"As you may or may not know the JLF is mostly comprised of remnants of the Japanese army and have the most backing of the Six Houses of Kyoto as well as the enough force to match the Britannian army but have never managed to land a decisive victory against Britannia. The reason why is that they lack support from the public, information, proper military technology, and the right motivation to fight." Lelouch replied.

"I guess I can agree with you for most of that but I'm sure that their motivation is to free Japan from Britannian's grip." Kallen said in confusion.

"Yes, they have the motivation to free Japan but they also wish for this country to return to its former glory as well. Japan didn't possess a very stable government or economic structure before the war but the members of the JLF still want to return to that bygone age. I wish for Japan to become free and be reborn anew to stand again as a proud nation with the might to oppose Britannia or any other nation that decides to darken its doorsteps. From there Zero and I wish to free other countries from Britannian control and to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for everyone." Lelouch replied in a passionate tone.

Kallen was in awe of the boy in front of her. "I'm not sure we're the right people to help you with such grand goals."

Lelouch walked forward until he was standing next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can assure you that you and the others are just the right people for the job and with our help you will come to realize that as well." Lelouch removed his hand. "Let's go meet up with the others."

"Why is that?" Kallen inquired.

"Because of your 'special situation' you aren't able to any extra-curricular activities and you are required to join at least one club while attending the academy. I merely asked Milly to convince her uncle the principle to allow you to join the student council and this will allow the two of us to keep in contact during the school hours." Lelouch replied with an amused grin.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Kallen replied.

Lelouch merely chuckled and made his way off the roof with his crimson queen quickly following despite her better judgment. It wasn't long before the two teens made their way to the student council building and entered with Lelouch filling Kallen on what duties she should expect to have to perform. Kallen was still a bit undecided at first but had eventually conceded when Lelouch had begun to pour on the charm leaving her quite flustered and unable to deny a request from such a cute guy. She briefly wondered what Ohgi and the others would say if they found out she was crushing on a Britannian she had just met even if he was on their side.

"I'm glad that you decided to join us, Kallen. Milly and the others can get out of hand sometimes but I'm sure that you'll be able to get along with them." Lelouch said as they entered the door.

"Well, you are pretty convincing when you want to be." Kallen said with a small smile.

"I'm glad he was able to convince you. It would've been such a hassle for me if I went through all of the trouble of getting you inducted and then you turned down Lulu's offer." The voice of Milly sounded causing the two turn towards the source.

Milly was entering the room with a serving cart of food followed by the rest of the members of the student council. They all introduced themselves one by one until the sound of a motorized wheelchair was heard by all of those gathered. Nunnally was entering the room from the hallway that connected the east side of the building to the main room was where everyone was currently in. She was being accompanied by Sayoko as usual and Lelouch noticed something that he had never paid attention to the first time around when he saw Nina flinch in revulsion as the Japanese maid passed her. He narrowed his eyes at this and realized that Nina's xenophobia had caused her to be afraid of the kind-hearted woman that swore to protect him and Nunnally.

'_I'm going to have to do something about her soon. I should've realized this sooner instead of just when Suzaku began attending school here. Her fear of Japanese could easily cause her to begin developing the FLIEJA just out of spite of them.'_ Lelouch thought.

The black prince was suddenly drawn from his thoughts by the sound of Rivalz voice. "Shall we kick this party of with a toast?" The blue-haired teen asked, gleefully as he produced a bottle of champagne. As he tried to pulled the cork Shirley suddenly pounced on him in an attempt to snatch the bottle from him while scolding him at the same time. "Lelouch, catch!"

The bottle was thrown at the elder Lamperouge quickly caught the bottle and noticed that it was already quite shaken up. He quickly moved the bottle out of the reach of Shirley while keeping it aimed in the direction of Kallen until moments later the cork popped off on direct line towards her. With surprising reflexes, Kallen lashed out and slapped the cork away but couldn't avoid the spray of champagne that drenched her seconds later.

"Oh dear, what a mess this is. Kallen, we have a shower upstairs that you can use and we'll see about finding you a change of clothes." Milly said.

Rivalz went to apologize but flinched at the combined glares he was receiving from Kallen, Milly, and Shirley while Lelouch helped Sayoko to clean up the mess that was left behind. Lelouch chuckled at the fact that this was similar to what happened the last time with the exception of the fact that he didn't think he would have to worry about Kallen threatening his life. Unless she tried to blame him for this mess when he went to bring her some clothes in a bit.

Kallen was angry as she stood beneath the shower and allowed the warm water to cascade over her nude form. She was glad for her school blazer since when she had removed it she noticed the champagne had completely soaked through her blouse and bra giving an excellent view of nicely formed breasts. If Lelouch or even Rivalz had seen that she would've been utterly mortified. She was turned her head, slightly when she heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Kallen, its Lelouch. I've brought you a change of clothes that should fit you." Lelouch said.

"You can come in." Kallen replied while making sure the curtain was fully drawn.

Lelouch made his way inside and held in a whistle as he could see the shadowed, curvaceous form of the red-haired terrorist through the thin curtain that separated them. He placed the clothes on a nearby rack as he turned his gaze towards the wall.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier. Rivalz tends to get a bit excited at times and can get carried away." Lelouch said, chuckling. "I blame Milly for that since she always takes things to the extreme such as when she plans out any of the school festivals."

Kallen laughed as she poked her head out of the side while still shielding her body. "I guess there's nothing wrong with that. I mean everyone needs to cut lose sometimes even if it had to be at my expense this time."

"I was sure that you would've wanted to castrate Rivalz after that little stunt. I can tell from looking at your wet clothes that you were really soaked and if it wasn't for your school blazer you would've given the two of us quite the show." Lelouch said and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

Kallen blushed. "S-Shut up, you pervert. Why did you have to be the one to bring me clothes if you're going to act like that?"

"Well, Milly and Shirley admitted that nothing they had would've fitted you and Nina is quite a bit on the petite side so she was definitely out. I actually live here with Nunnally and Sayoko in the east side of the council building that was cut off. The Ashford family is old acquaintances of my mother and allowed us to stay here given our special situation." Lelouch replied.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but what happened to your sister, Nunnally? Milly told me she was in a terrible accident that caused her to become disabled but she wouldn't tell me why." Kallen asked with a bit of hesitation.

Lelouch smiled, sadly. "I guess I can tell you that Nunnally is part of my reason for joining you." He leaned against the wall. "My mother was killed in what was considered a terrorist but I know that it wasn't. My mother was once a member of the Knights of the Round and was an incredible Knightmare pilot with a high standing in the imperial court. The Ganymede prototype we use here at the academy is the very same Knightmare that she used to pilot when they first began being developed by the Ashford family and they kept it safe. When mother was killed Nunnally was there as well and caught up in the attack causing the loss of her legs and for her blindness to be caused due to mental trauma she suffered. Instead of investigating the murder the emperor pushed it off as inconsequential matter and exiled me and Nunnally to Japan when I demanded that he due something find her killers."

Kallen whistled. "Your family must have been some sort of nobles or something especially if she was one of the Knights of the Round. I've heard that they are supposed to be the best Knightmare pilots that Britannia has."

"Yes, I guess you could say something like that about my former lineage but that's in the past now. My mother was the Knight of Six at the time but he didn't care enough to investigate her death and that allowed me to see the emperor for who he truly was. After I spoke out against him we were sent to Japan as political hostages and lived with the Kururugi family for a time during the Sakuradite conflict." Lelouch said.

"So, I guess that means that you know that 'Suzaku' guy they say killed the Clovis?" Kallen asked.

Lelouch grimaced at the reminder of his friend's predicament as he nodded. "Yes, he's an old friend of mine but we haven't been in contact for quite a few years now. It was only a couple of months later that Britannia invaded Japan with me and Nunnally being left here to die. I lost contact with Suzaku when we had a clash of ideals and I was left to take care of Nunnally on my own for a while. Luckily, I managed to keep the two of us alive long enough and eventually came across the Ashford family who immediately took us in. It was only due the fact that Ashford family had followed us to Japan after being stripped of their title of nobility simply because they were allies of my mother and wished to support us after our exile." Lelouch said and shook his head. "However, I can assure you that Suzaku was not the one responsible for the death of Prince Clovis as the media claims. The one that is responsible for the death of the Viceroy and the ceasefire order is Zero and before you doubt me I know this because I was there to watch him carry out these acts."

Kallen took a moment to gaze at the face of Lelouch whose expression was a blank mask as he told of his involvement in the death of the viceroy. She wasn't exactly sure to make of him at the moment but something about him sent a shiver up her spine that was neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

"Are you still fighting just for the sake of revenge?" Kallen asked.

Lelouch sighed. "At first, Nunnally's condition and the answer's to my mother's murder where all I cared about but after staying here for so long I began to see this as my home. Under the rule of the current Emperor Britannia has become completely corrupted as they seek to spread the influence of Britannian culture across the world and rob other countries of their own. Since I grew to see this as my home I wanted to see Japan become free once again but I had no idea at first until I was contacted by Zero and asked to join his cause. I don't know how he knew of my desire for revenge but he told me that he also wanted revenge against my former homeland for what they did to him and I agreed to join him."

Kallen nodded as she lapsed into a brief silence as she thought over everything that Lelouch had said to her so far. Despite the fact that he was a Britannian he had given her plenty of reasons to support why he hated his former homeland and she found that she couldn't dispute him on any of it. However, she still couldn't help but have her doubts about him and the mysterious 'Zero' that she and the others had yet to meet with.

The red-haired rebel was drawn from her thoughts as the sound of a phone ringing drew the attention of both her and Lelouch. Lelouch made a show of tracking it down to Kallen's discarded clothing since he already knew that it was C.C. calling. Unlike last time where he had Sayoko play a recording of him he was using his white witch to carry out this little ruse. Taking a moment to make sure that the caller id read Zero and not someone else he turned his attention back to the redhead as he made his way back closer to her.

"Looks like Zero finally decided that he wants to talk with you about your group's decision." Lelouch said.

Kallen quickly snatched the phone from his hand and glared at Lelouch. "Make sure you don't peek on me or I'll have to hurt you."

Lelouch couldn't resist the shudder that ran through his body as he offered a weak chuckle and turned his back on her. Kallen quickly flipped the phone open as she ducked her head back into the shower.

"Um...hello?" Kallen spoke into the receiver.

"So, Lelouch was able to successfully get into contact with you. I am sure that my partner has already informed you but I am Zero." The voice on the other end of the line replied.

Kallen stifled a gasp, clearly recognizing the voice on the other end from Shinjuku. "So, you really do exist just like Lelouch said?"

Zero chuckled. "I see that even after Lelouch provided all of the facts of why you obtained your victory at Shinjuku there were still doubts to our sincerity. It didn't take much to convince Naoto Kouzuki of what I was capable but I see that you aren't as open-minded as he was."

Kallen growled. "I still don't believe the fact that you knew my brother. I know for certain that he would've told the rest of us about the two of you even if you told him not to."

"Maybe but he also knew that if he did I wouldn't have provided him with my assistance but another group would've received it instead. I don't offer an alliance with just anyone due to the need for keeping the identity of Lelouch and me a secret. Lelouch is already putting himself at great risk since he is a Britannian student that is helping a rebel group but he can move more freely than I can so it is necessary as well. Think what would happen if we had been in contact with other rebel cells and some of their members were captured then, interrogated for information. The safety of Lelouch and his sister would no longer be guaranteed and they would put as much effort into finding me as possible." Zero replied.

"I guess you do have a point there but Ohgi and the others would like to meet the guy that helped us out." Kallen replied.

"That is the reason why I had Lelouch get into contact with you and provide you with that untraceable phone." Zero replied. "1600 hours, the day after tomorrow. Come to the Tokyo observation tower and be as discreet as possible."

Kallen was about to agree when a thought occurred to her. "Wait a moment, Zero! How did you manage to arrange that ceasefire and are you really responsible for the death of Prince Clovis? Are you just going to let that Suzaku guy take the fall for you?"

The only reply Kallen received was a dial tone causing the redhead to growl out in frustration for not getting her questions answered. However, she quickly reasoned that she would be able to get the answers to her questions when she told the others and they met with him the day after tomorrow. She really wanted to meet this guy that her brother had sought help from and to see what else he had to say. Closing the cell, she knew that she had to inform Ohgi and the others so that they could come up with some sort of plan just in case this whole situation turned out to be a trap. With that thought in mind, Kallen turned off the water and pulled the curtain back as she made to get out of the shower.

However, in her haste she had forgotten one crucial detail and that was the fact that Lelouch was still in the bathroom with her. When Lelouch had heard her growl out in frustration he had turned to tease her but was caught flatfooted when he heard the water shut off and could only blink when he she threw the curtain wide open. The two teens could only stare at one another in shock while blushing at the sudden situation that they found themselves in. The dark haired Lamperouge couldn't help memorizing every detail of Kallen's nude form as best he could. Kallen noticed his eyes roaming over her body which caused her to blush even more but also found herself unable to move for some reason. However, his next words quickly managed to dispel whatever spell that entranced her.

"Kallen, I don't know how you manage to keep up the illusion of a sickly, weak noble girl for so long with such an incredible body but in a way I'm glad. This gives me another reason to try and get close to you." Lelouch said with a smirk.

Kallen blushes an even deep shade of crimson and shrieked as she tossed a bar of soap at Lelouch before ducking down with a cry of 'Pervert'. Lelouch ducked out of the way of the impromptu projectile while backing out of the bathroom while laughing at the redhead. Kallen waited until she heard the door shut before peeking out through the gap in the curtains to make sure that Lelouch was completely gone before releasing a heavy sigh. She was beyond mortified that a guy had seen her naked like that and a Britannian at that but she couldn't really blame Lelouch for that. It was her fault that she forgotten about him in her rush but she still blamed him for the simple fact that he had ogled her the way that he did. The way his eyes had roamed over her body had caused a rather pleasant warmth in the pit of her stomach but she ignored that in favor of the sense anger and embarrassment that had soon followed. Next time she saw him she was going to make him pay for looking at her in such a way even if it hurt their chances at an alliance with Zero she would have her revenge.

The redhead quickly pushed away her dark thoughts as she quickly got out of the shower to get dressed so she could meet up with Ohgi and the others. As she made her way through the halls of the student council building she made sure to avoid Lelouch and the others just in case he felt like teasing her about what happened. She may have been mad at him but she didn't want to suffer a second dose of embarrassment if Milly and the others learned of what happened. Luckily, she was able to make her way out without being seen by the others but was unaware of a pair of gold eyes watching her with hints of amusement in their depths.

* * *

><p>Suzaku found himself looking up at the ceiling of his confinement cell as he lay on the provided bed with his arms behind his head. His mind was still reeling from the fact that he had been charged with the murder of the Area Eleven Viceroy and Third Prince of Britannia, Clovis la Britannia. He hadn't even known that the prince was dead until he had been placed under arrest by the Purist Faction led by Jeremiah Gottwald. It didn't really surprise him that as an honorary Britannian that he was treated as a suspect since the Purist Faction but still felt that once he presented his case before the tribunal he would be allowed to go free. He was sure that Lloyd and Cecile would come to testify in his defense since they had clear knowledge of his whereabouts the entire time. However, Suzaku had no clue that the tribunal in charge of his case were firm supporters of the Purist Faction and also wanted the end of the Honorary Britannian system that Clovis had started.<p>

'_I wonder if Lelouch was able to make it out safely. Cecile had said there were no reports of a Britannian student amongst the dead or injured but that could've meant that he was captured by those rebels. If they did get him and learn that he is a apart of the royal family they will kill him despite the fact that he's an exiled prince and hasn't had contact with them in seven years. I still don't know whether I should've been shocked to meet him again the way I did or be angry with him for being in such a dangerous place in the first place.'_ Suzaku thought then, smiled. _'The last time we saw each other was not long after the war started and we had that big argument about what we should do. I had wanted him to take Nunnally and go to the Britannian forces so they would be safe but he had refused. He was so swallowed up by his hate for his father that he didn't want to return to Britannia even though it meant putting Nunnally in danger. I had called him a coward for not wanting to go back and ran away to see if I could talk to my father to make sure that Lelouch and Nunnally could go home.'_ Suzaku then, grimaced. _'Only to learn that my father was prepared to order everyone to fight Britannia to the very end even if it meant the complete eradication of Japan. I couldn't let him kill everyone like that and in my brief moment of anger I killed him and I've lived with the guilt of that act ever since.'_

Suzaku recalled how he had lived with the Sumeragi family for a while after that and had hoped to hear news of Lelouch and Nunnally. He had been greatly saddened when the news of Lelouch and Nunnally had reached him with even Kaguya being saddened since she had always had a crush on Lelouch despite their age gap. He had submersed himself into learning as he could from his sensei, Kyoshiro Todoh with the thought of avenging his fallen friends but Kyoshiro had dissuaded him following such a path. It wasn't until a few years later when Japanese were allowed to join the military forces through the Honorary Britannian system that Suzaku gained a new goal. He wanted the Japanese to be accepted by the Britannians and felt that the Honorary Britannian system was the first step in that direction. With the thought that if he could rise in the military ranks he could gain enough of a voice to influence how his fellow Japanese were treated. Kyoshiro and the rest of his family told him that it was foolish dream and they would be unable to support him in such an endeavor but he chose to charge straight ahead no matter what the consequences.

Suzaku allowed himself a brief chuckle as he recalled his unexpected reunion with Lelouch before he had been shot by his commanding officer and the look of shock on the face of his friend. Even if his father's watch had stopped the bullet the impact had still hurt a lot and left his ribs quite sore causing him pain while he had been piloting the Lancelot. It seemed that despite the fact they hadn't seen each other in so many years Lelouch still tended to wind up in the middle of sticky situations like they used to often due to his bratty and selfish behavior. The only difference was that normally it was Lelouch thinking of some sort of way to get them out of since Suzaku had to admit that he was a bit of a troublemaker when he was younger. He absentmindedly rand his hand over the area where his commanding officer had shot him after he had refused to kill Lelouch but wondered what the man reaction would've been if he realized he was threatening a member of the royal family even if he was an exiled prince. Then again he didn't really know the whole situation back in the Britannian homeland in regards to Lelouch and Nunnally since the two had been already declared dead. They probably would've thought of him as an imposter or merely using the deceased prince's name and killed Lelouch anyway.

Suzaku sighed for the umpteenth time. _'It would've been nice to just get together with Lelouch and Nunnally and have it like it was in the old days before the war.'_

The brown-haired Knightmare pilot was drawn out of his thoughts as he heard the door to his cell suddenly open causing him to sit up to see who was paying him this unexpected visit. His answer came in the form of three members of Purist Faction identified as their leader, Jeremiah Gottwald and two of his top subordinates, Kewell Soresi and Villetta Nu. This was the first time they had chosen to pay him a visit since his imprisonment and he knew that the resulting conversation would not be pleasant for him from the looks on their faces. Suzaku stood up completely to face the three but made no aggressive movements even if he didn't relax his guard since he was well aware of their animosity for Elevens and wouldn't put it pass them to attempt to ruff him up a bit if necessary.

"Private Kururugi, I hope your stay here has been most pleasant so far." Jeremiah said with an air of arrogance.

Suzaku bit back a growl as he addressed the man. "I've already told you before that I didn't have anything to do with the assassination of Prince Clovis. I was being treated in the carrier for the ASEEC and was piloting the Knightmare frame, Lancelot in combat against the terrorists during that time."

"Yes, do remind us of how you were given access to a Seventh-Generation Knightmare that we had no knowledge of in the first place? Not only was a mere eleven chosen to become its pilot you also were soundly defeated by a group of terrorists piloting stolen Sutherlands. Despite the testaments from the members of the Camelot team that you had performed quite remarkably before you were led into a trap I am still left to wonder." Kewell said in a smug tone.

Suzaku narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to say that I purposely allowed myself to lose that battle?"

"From our records, you are a very capable Knightmare pilot and with what was reported of your performance against the terrorists it wouldn't have been no problem for you to handle the situation with such an advanced unit. Especially, since the rebels were piloting outdated frame and it was highly doubtful that the ignorant barbarians knew how to properly pilot them in the first place." Kewell continued in his smug tone.

Suzaku felt himself growing angry but a quick realization made a small grin to form on his lips. He knew that it wouldn't make his situation any better but he really felt like putting Kewell in his place.

"If the terrorists was as unskilled as you say then, they wouldn't have managed to take out so many of our forces before I was forced to pilot the Lancelot and engage them in the first place. I was merely following my orders like any other soldier and trying to end the fighting as quickly as possible." Suzaku replied.

Kewell was about to launch into another argument when Villetta suddenly spoke up. "As amusing as it is to watch the two of you bicker over such a trivial matter. I do believe that we are deviating from the reason why we came in the first place."

Jeremiah nodded. "Yes, Villetta is right and I believe you should better reign in your emotions, Kewell." He shifted his attention fully to Suzaku. "We are actually here to inform you that in two days' time we shall commence with your trial and that it will be a public event. I don't know how you manage to convince the members of the ASEEC to cover up for but for you to actually believe that you could assassinate our dear Prince Clovis and think you could get away with is foolish and laughable."

"I keep trying to tell you that I didn't have anything to do with the death of the prince. Why is it that you don't believe me?" Suzaku said with a bit of desperation in his voice.

"Even if you didn't have you didn't actually pull the trigger your actions in the latter part of the battle is still under heavy suspicion. I believe that you are in fact allied with the rebels and that you staged your defeat in order to divert the attention of our forces away from the prince's G-1 long enough for someone to sneak inside and assassinate him. However, we have also come to realize that you had an inside man who was Britannian and has proven himself to be disloyal to the crown." Jeremiah said.

"That is absolutely ridiculous!" Suzaku yelled out.

"Oh, is it truly ridiculous to believe the son of former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi to want to strike such a blow against Britannia in retaliation for the death of your father during the war. Why else would you have joined our army in the first place if not for the sake of revenge in the first place? You clearly played yourself off as a loyal soldier of the crown using your status as an Honorary Britannian while providing intel to the rebels all this time." Jeremiah said.

Suzaku was distraught and livid at the same time. "Just because of whom my father was doesn't mean that I joined the military just for revenge. I joined to prove that I could change the system from within."

Kewell scoffed. "As if you expect us to truly believe such rabble. How were you planning to change the system when even with your status as an Honorary Britannian you a still just a mere number with a few special rights? Do you truly believe that you or any other number would ever be accepted by proper Britannian society and that we would eventually see you as equals to us? You are nothing more than a band of defeated survivors that by the mere grace of our emperor is being allowed to live on and bask in the glory that is the Holy Empire of Britannia. Instead rebels like your friends resort to acts of terrorism and lash out against us but fail to realize that their defiance is utterly pointless."

"Not everyone is dissatisfied with the way that things are. Many are willing to move on with their lives and embrace Britannia with open arms." Suzaku said.

This time it was Villetta that scoffed. "That is because they really don't have much of a choice but to bow their heads and accept their new place in our society. Don't forget that you and your fellow countrymen had your chance and failed just like so many others. Plus, you still expect us to believe that you never had any intention of assassinating Prince Clovis. You are not the first to attempt to do such a thing but this time you and your little friends got lucky and it will cost you dearly with your life."

Jeremiah smirked. "We gave you the chance to say a few words but in the end it will change nothing. In a few days you're scheduled to be put on trial and when it is all said and done you will be executed for the hand you played in the death of Prince Clovis. This will send a message to your little friends that you are just the beginning and we won't stop until we have wiped out every last one of you pissant eleven filth. If by some miraculous chance that you are able to walk away from this then you had best hope that we never cross paths again or you will regret it."

With that last parting comment all three members of the Purist Faction turned and left Suzaku to wait out the rest of his confinement. The brown-haired youth was even more disheartened than he was before. Yet despite all of the cruel words they had said he still carried on with the hope that he would be able to prove his innocence and continue on to prove to his fellow countrymen and his Britannian superiors that he could change their ways. He sat back down on his bed and leaned against the wall while propping up one leg and resting his forearm on his knee. He would continue to hold onto his faith that everything would turn out just fine and once everything was over he would search for Nunnally and possibly Lelouch if he was still alive.

* * *

><p>Lelouch walked back into his room after a long and tiring day in his honest opinion. He realized that things were a bit harder this time around since he was doing much more than he did the last time. Once school was over he had quickly made an excuse to Rivalz that he had to go into town alone to take care of business instead of their usual gambling runs with the blue-haired Britannian offering to let him use his bike if he wanted. Lelouch had quickly made his way to where C.C. had stored the transport loaded with Gloucesters and had geassed several local workers into becoming more his sleeper agents. He did this since why bother with making use of them once when he could use his geass to make people loyal to him and use them later if necessary. He knew that he was abusing his power a bit but he wanted to make sure that his plans went smoothly and would repent by freeing the world from the evil that was his father and Holy Britannian Empire. He even had them begin modifying three of the Gloucesters with some of the spare weapons that C.C. and Villetta had also acquired for him and found them to be capable workers.<p>

After having the transport moved to an abandoned warehouse that would later serve as a temporary headquarters for the Black Knights he went to the same man that he had geassed to make his costume the first time. The only difference this time he wanted the glass of his mask made out of the geass countering lens as an added precaution if his geass went out of control again like last time. Just because his geass had evolved there was no guarantee that V.V. couldn't influence it to go out of control again like he did last time and he already had a pair of contact lenses courtesy of C.C. as well.

Afterwards, the Black Prince had met up with several nobles that owed him favors and used his geass to ensure that they would provide future support to his operations as well. Just like last time it would require a large amount of money to fund his little revolution and as the size of his army grew he would need to make sure that they would be well-equipped. Even if most of the Black Knights would become nothing more than pawns to him since he never knew personally they believed in his cause and he wanted to make sure that as many as possible lived.

Lelouch also made contact with Villetta since C.C. had provided her with an untraceable phone much like he did with Kallen so that he could communicate with her whenever necessary. He had to make sure that no changes would be made for when they paraded Suzaku down the street during their public mockery of the Honorary Britannian system but she had assured him that everything would go exactly as it had the last time. Although, he was highly amused how she had described how Jeremiah and Kewell had helped her to tear into Suzaku when they had visited him. The two men had been purposely persuaded by the words of Villetta before the meeting not knowing that C.C. had previously instructed her to do on behalf of Lelouch when they had met the other day. With that the little bit of detail still the same Lelouch knew that his little miracle would go off the same way it did the last time but with a few changes. He was suddenly drawn out of his thoughts by the voice of his contractor and recently turned lover as the lights flipped on.

"Is this going to become a recurring habit with you? You're constant absences have been causing poor Nunnally a lot of worry and I don't really feel like constantly lying to her whenever she asks where you're at." C.C. said from her position on the bed. She was wearing her normal underwear and looking at him with an exasperated expression but her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Sorry about putting you in that sort of situation but I had to take care of a few tasks. I need everything to be prepared for Suzaku's trial so that my little rescue goes off with a more dramatic flair than last time. I already began modifying the Gloucesters but I want the two of us to make sure that everything is fully operational for Zero's big debut in two days." Lelouch replied.

"You used your geass on some poor sap again, didn't you?" C.C. asked in a deadpan voice.

"Why of course I did. Geass is merely another tool at my disposal and just like last time I will use it as necessary to make sure that my rebellion goes as smooth as possible despite the fact it may sometimes go against my belief and morals." Lelouch replied.

"I'm in no way reprimanding you for your use of Geass since what is the use of having such a power if you're not going to use it. Just make sure that you use it in the right the situation so that you don't make the same mistakes as last time or worse. I would prefer you not having to run the chance of having to die again because you became too overconfident." C.C. said.

"That is why I have you by my side to rein me in whenever you feel that I may be getting in over my head." Lelouch said with a grin.

"A lot of good that may do me since you tend to be rather stubborn at times and leave me frustrated with how reckless you tend to be." C.C. said with an over exaggerated sigh.

Lelouch chuckled as he made his way over to the green-haired immortal and pulled her to her feet before wrapping his arms around her slender frame. C.C responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and gazing up into his violet eyes with a bit of confusion but also lust. She had grown to become a bit addicted to the feel of his arms wrapped around her though she wished he was more muscular but she could easily force him to remedy that.

"Cecilia, I want this to be the one and only time I ever have to do such a thing again. I had never planned to die but I had to in order to make my dream a reality with my main regret being that I had to leave behind so many people that I cared for. I want to live out the rest of my life with you, Kallen, Nunnally, and everyone else whether I am forced to become the 99th emperor again or just live as a regular civilian again." Lelouch said, softly.

C.C. rested her head against his chest. "You are aware that you're making me feel emotions that I haven't allowed myself to feel in a very long time. I find myself wanting to continue to live on even if it means that I have to watch you grow old but I will break our contract before that happens. Right now you are all I need to be happy in this world and once this is done with I want to settle down with you and have a family if possible even that means I have to share you with Kallen or anyone else. After all, Charles had numerous consorts so I am prepared for you to do the same since you have become such a flirt."

"That is another goal that I am happy to work towards but it all starts in a few days when we rescue Suzaku. I will once again have to embark on a path stained with blood in order to give the world the peace it so desperately craves for. Britannia and all those that threaten to oppress the weak shall once again learn to fear the name of Zero and his Black Knights." Lelouch said in a passionate tone.

C.C. lifted her head from his chest and gave him a coy look. "Just shut up and make love to me."

Lelouch chuckled. "As you wish my Emerald Queen."

With that said the two engaged in a heated kiss as clothing was quickly discarded before the two once again filled the night air with the sounds of their lovemaking. It wouldn't be till morning that Lelouch would find himself being chastised by Sayoko for such behavior and the obvious affect it had on her. With his resolve once again set Lelouch would once again set out to make an enemy that encompassed roughly a one-third of the world and dare to defy what many thought of as an seemingly unstoppable enemy.

* * *

><p>Well, that's chapter 3 of Fate's Second Chance and I apologize for the slow update but I am across seas and with my duties I have very little time to dedicate to my writings. I will push them out as fast as I can but try to be patient since I have ideas for three different stories that come and go so I try to work on each whenever I have a good idea in my head. The anticipated return of Zero is close at hand but what changes does Lelouch have this time around and what are his plans for Suzaku? I have received quite a few requests to make this story a harem as well as other little requests from some of my reviewers that I am greatly considering. I had originally planned to have Lelouch make his debut as Zero but with the length of the chapter it would've been extremely long with everything I planned to put in it so I broke it down into two chapters instead.<p>

In the next chapter, Zero will most definitely make his debut along with a special intervention by our favorite immortal witch. Also, like I said before I won't have Suzaku outright join Zero and his future Black Knights but will begin to test his resolve and see where that takes me. Suzaku has already had a small dose of how Britannian's view the numbers under their rule but I'm going to push that even farther. I also plan to bring up the subject of how Lelouch and the others acquire the Lancelot unit 2 as well as the Lancelot Club and maybe an added surprise but I won't say for sure. As usual read and review as you like and don't hesitate to send me any ideas or suggestions on how to improve my story or any content that you wish to see.


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